The restart of Barapukuria Thermal Power Plant Unit-3 is expected to strengthen Bangladesh's electricity supply, with the 275-megawatt (MW) coal-fired unit resuming power generation after a 29-day shutdown and reconnecting to the national grid.
Md Abu Bakkar Siddique, chief engineer of the Barapukuria Coal-Fired Thermal Power Plant in Dinajpur, confirmed that electricity from the unit began flowing to the national grid at 2:30pm on Wednesday following a successful restart.
According to the chief engineer, trial operations began at around 9:30pm on Tuesday after nearly a month offline. Following successful testing, the unit entered full-scale operation on Wednesday, allowing additional coal-based electricity to be supplied to the grid.
The return of the unit comes at a time when Bangladesh continues to focus on maintaining reliable power generation and reducing pressure on the national electricity system, particularly during periods of high demand.
Two generating units at the plant are now operational. Unit-1, which has a generation capacity of 125MW, and Unit-3, with a capacity of 275MW, are currently supplying electricity. Plant officials said Unit-1 is producing between 65MW and 70MW, while the newly restarted Unit-3 is initially expected to generate around 175MW. Output from the larger unit is expected to rise gradually to more than 200MW in the coming days.
Md Abu Bakkar Siddique said one of the plant's units had previously resumed operation but was later forced to shut down again. The successful return of Unit-3 is therefore expected to make a meaningful contribution to coal-based electricity generation.
"We have been able to bring the third unit back into operation from today. We expect to significantly increase coal-based power generation," the chief engineer said.
The plant's fuel supply chain also remains a key focus. Shah Alam, managing director of Barapukuria Coal Mine, said efforts are underway to address ongoing challenges related to coal storage and management at the coal yard.
According to Shah Alam, authorities have decided to store part of the extracted coal at alternative locations while selling a portion through the open market. He added that another nearby power plant unit has recently resumed operation, a development expected to increase coal consumption and support greater utilisation of domestic fuel resources.
Energy sector officials believe stronger electricity output and higher coal utilisation will help improve the operational stability of the Barapukuria project while supporting Bangladesh's wider energy security objectives. The additional generation capacity is also expected to enhance the reliability of power supplies to the national grid as demand for electricity continues to grow.
Barapukuria remains Bangladesh's only operational coal mine and plays an important role in supporting domestic coal-fired power generation, reducing dependence on imported fuels and contributing to the country's overall energy mix.
