Barapukuria thermal power plant resumes partial operations after three-day shutdown

Staff Reporter :

The Barapukuria Thermal Power Plant in Dinajpur has resumed partial electricity production following a three-day shutdown. Chief Engineer Abu Bakr Siddique confirmed that Unit 1, with a capacity of 125 MW, was successfully brought back online at 5:00 pm on Thursday, with power generation commencing shortly after 8:00 pm. Currently, the plant is supplying approximately 60 to 65 MW of electricity to the national grid.

Siddique expressed optimism that Unit 3, which has been out of service since Monday due to a mechanical fault, will be operational again in a few days, pending the delivery of replacement parts from the Chinese contractor, Harbin International. Meanwhile, Unit 2 has been non-functional since the beginning of the year, contributing to the plant’s total shutdown earlier this week.

The resumption of electricity supply has led to a reduction in load shedding across Dinajpur and other northern districts. This improvement has alleviated disruptions for power-dependent irrigation systems, boosted agricultural productivity, and revitalized operations in industries such as rice mills and factories.

The Barapukuria Thermal Power Plant, the country’s first coal-based power facility, generates electricity by burning coal from the nearby Barapukuria coal mine using steam-powered engines.