Completed work on the power transmission line over Padma

Aminbazar-Maowa-Mongla 400KV Double Circuit line, one of Bangladesh's main power transmission lines, will start testing on December 15 after 11 towers were built in the powerful Padma River against all difficulties.

According to a top official, the Bangladesh India Friendship Power Company Limited (BIFPCL) intends to begin commercial operation of unit-1 of the 1320MW Power Plant at Rampal on December 18, 2022, following the success of the primary transmission line and load flow.

According to Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB), the 179.42 kilometers long Aminbazar-Maowa-Mongla 400KV Double Circuit line had got approval of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in April, 2016.

The transmission line includes 226 towers including 11 river crossing towers at the mighty river Padma, built at a cost of Tk 25.05 billion.

The project also includes 75 kilometers double circuit lines and 7.497 kilometers river crossing.

But, the PGCB deferred the construction work of river crossing towers several times due to delay in Padma Bridge construction work as well as other challenges in building the towers in the River Padma.

The delay of the project also incurred a loss as Pyara Power Project failed to supply its power to the grid due to lack of supply line, the official said.

The project has been implemented with the support of Asian Development Bank (ADB). Out of Tk 25.05 billion cost, the ADB provided Tk 12.70 billion.

“We have a plan to announce a commercial operation of unit-1 of the Rampal Power Plant on December 18, subject to successful reliability testing of the 1320MW Power Plant,” BIFPCL managing director Engineer Sayeed Akram Ullah told the Daily Sun.

He added that the BIFPCL has started a seven-day reliability test. “We expect to complete the load flow of the power plant after the test run of the Aminbazar-Maowa-Mongla 400KV Double Circuit line on December 15,” he said.  

The commissioning of the Rampal plant was deferred several times earlier.

“We are taking all the preparation of test commercial operation of the Aminbazar-Maowa-Mongla 400KV Double Circuit line on December 15,” ABM Badruddoza Khan, Spokesman of the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Ltd, told the Daily Sun on Monday.