Coal crisis halts production at Matarbari power plant

Due to a coal shortage, both units of the Matarbari coal-fired power plant in Maheshkhali, Cox’s Bazar, have been shut down since last Thursday.PauseMute

However, authorities are hopeful that production will resume in December.

The 1,200MW power plant, entirely reliant on coal imports, has faced setbacks due to mismanagement, corruption, and legal complications, despite being a debt-dependent mega-project established during the Awami League government’s tenure.

Authorities say that the coal shortage should be resolved by the end of November, once a new shipment arrives.

The last coal shipment from Sumitomo Corporation was received in mid-August.

The first unit of the Matarbari power plant began operation in July 2023, and the second in December. So far, 2.2 million tons of coal have been imported through Sumitomo, but that stock is now depleted.

According to project officials, the Coal Power Generation Company issued an international tender to secure coal for the next three years.

However, Abul Kalam Azad, former project director reportedly delayed the tender process by ten months to benefit a particular company.

Following complaints of irregularities, a competing contractor sought a court order, leading the High Court to impose a six-month ban on coal imports in July.

Although the High Court’s decision was later overturned, the long-term coal supply remains uncertain.

Mohammad Monowar Hossain Mojumder, operations engineer of the Coal Power Generation Company of Bangladesh, noted that production has been halted since last Thursday due to both maintenance work and the coal shortage.

He added that government efforts are underway to address the issue, and operations are expected to resume next month.

source : maritime-executive