National Desk :
Barapukuria Thermal Power Plant in Dinajpur has suspended operations after all three of its power-generating units became non-operational. This unexpected shutdown has led to severe load shedding in the region, leaving residents grappling with intense heat and disruptions in daily life.
Chief Engineer Abu Bakr Siddiq hoped that the first unit, currently undergoing maintenance, might be back online within a few days, allowing for limited power generation. However, uncertainty remains over the complete restoration of the plant’s operations. The plant’s third unit, which has a capacity of 275 megawatts, malfunctioned on Monday morning due to mechanical issues, bringing the entire facility to a standstill. The shutdown comes after the second unit, with a capacity of 125 megawatts, went offline earlier this year, and the first unit, also 125 megawatts, was taken out of service for overhauling.
With a total capacity of 525 megawatts, the Barapukuria plant plays a critical role in supplying power to the national grid. However, plant officials are unable to provide a clear timeline for when operations might resume.
The impact of the shutdown is being felt across the Dinajpur region, where prolonged power outages are affecting both households and industries. The lack of electricity is disrupting irrigation-dependent agriculture and other essential services, exacerbating the challenges faced by residents.
Shahjahan, a manager from NESCO’s Rangpur region, confirmed that load shedding is occurring due to the supply shortfall. As the situation unfolds, the residents of Dinajpur remain in anticipation of a resolution.
This latest shutdown has further exacerbated power outages, resulting in frequent power outages in the greater Rangpur area.
Load-shedding or gap in power demand and supply was calculated at around 2,200MW last night, which is the highest in recent weeks, according to data of Power Grid Bangladesh PLC
The unit that shut down yesterday was the last operational unit of the power plant, as its first and second units went out of service long ago due to technical glitches, the chief engineer said. Each of the three units requires two electro-hydraulic oil pumps to function, which supply oil to the units for power generation. Since 2022, one of the pumps in the third unit remained out of service, and the plant was running depending on a single pump, leading to operational risks. Despite repeated notifications to the contractor, the problems remained unresolved.