Staff Reporter :
A 5.7-magnitude earthquake on Thursday triggered major disruptions in Bangladesh’s national power system, knocking at least 1,100 megawatts (MW) of electricity offline after six power plants tripped simultaneously.
Officials of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) said that by the afternoon, around 200-250MW had been restored, and further recovery was expected later in the night.
“At least six power plants went out of operation immediately after the quake. We are working with alternative equipment to resolve the issues and bring this substation back online soon, as it is linked to multiple distribution lines,” said Zahurul Islam, BPDB member (production).
The highest single loss came from the 660MW first unit of SS Power, owned by the S Alam Group, which shut down instantly following the tremor.
Updated data from BPDB’s media and public relations department confirmed that Bibiyana 2 (Summit) 341MW CCPP and Bibiyana 3 (BPDB) 400MW CCPP – including its 134MW steam turbine – also went offline almost immediately after the quake.
Additional losses occurred at the Ashuganj 225MW CCPP, where the 75MW steam turbine tripped, as well as at Ashuganj Precision 55MW and Ashuganj TSK 50MW, both of which are engine-based plants.
Sirajganj Unit-1, a 225MW CCPP, also stopped operating when its 75MW steam turbine tripped due to the shock. One of the most significant setbacks came from the sudden shutdown of SS Power’s 600MW Unit-2, the country’s largest private coal-fired plant, resulting in a substantial supply shortfall.
Officials reported considerable damage to insulators, breaker bushings, busbars, and isolators, leaving all 230kV, 132kV, and 33kV lines connected to the Ghorashal substation de-energised. The failure has sharply reduced the system’s ability to reroute power or stabilise supply across surrounding regions.
“Despite the difficulties, BPDB has already restored 200-250MW, and recovery efforts are continuing,” Zahurul Islam said.
He noted that attempts were underway to bring SS Power back into service, adding, “If possible, a significant portion of electricity supply will return to normal.”
Thursday’s earthquake has once again exposed the vulnerability of the country’s power infrastructure.
