Rampal plant starts supplying power to national grid

Bangladesh’s another mega coal-fired power plant, 2x660 MW Maitree Super Thermal Power Project at Rampal, started supplying electricity to the national grid.

The supply began after the newly built Aminbazar-Gopalganj 400KV grid line was made operational.

“We are conducting a reliable test of unit-1 and it supplied 400 MW of electricity to the national grid for the first time against a total load flow of 600 MW today (Saturday),” BIFPCL managing director Engineer Sayeed Akram Ullah told the Daily Sun.

He said the Bangladesh India Friendship Power Company Ltd (BIFPCL) started the reliable test of the power plant’s unit-1 on December 11, 2022.

“We need to complete one week for a reliable test to start commercial operation of the power plant,” he said.

An official of the Power Grid Company Limited of Bangladesh (PGCB) also confirmed the supply of Rampal plant electricity to the grid yesterday.

“200 MW electricity flow came from circuit one of the Rampal Power Plant into the grid at 3.46 PM on Saturday and after two minutes it added another 200 MW into the grid,” ABM Badruddoza Khan, spokesman of the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Ltd told the Daily Sun yesterday.           

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced completion of Unit-1 of Rampal Power Plant (PP) with her Indian counterpart Prime Minister Narendra Modi on her visit to India last September.

The power plant is being constructed under India’s Concessional Financing Scheme.

It is being built by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) for the Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Private Ltd. (BIFPCL) at a cost of $ 2 billion.  

The project has been delayed by over 19 months due to Covid-19 pandemic as well as delays in soil tests, Project Director Subhash Chandra Pandey said earlier.

He also said that the power tariff will be determined based on the cost of imported coal.

“But the cost will be lower than other coal-fired power plants.”

The Power Plant is being set up with Super Critical Technology to actively mitigate environmental impact, Pandey added.

“Some of the in-built measures to minimise air and water pollution include a Flue Gas Desulphurisation System (FGD) with no bypass to control the emission of SOx, Integrated Effluent and Waste Management System to avoid contamination of Pasur River, construction of the tallest Chimney in Bangladesh (at 275 m) for a wider dispersion of flue gas emissions, construction of an advance Ship Unloader for coal as well as a fully covered Coal Stock Yard, along with use of High Grade imported coal with low ash and Sulphur content,” the project director said.

BIPCL signed a facility agreement involving $1600 million with the Export-Import Bank of India for financing of the EPC contract award to BHEL along with capitalisation of interest during construction (IDC).

Of the amount, $100 million has been earmarked for capitalisation of interest during construction.

Bangladesh’s one of the major transmission lines, Aminbazar-Gopalganj 400KV Double Circuit line, commenced test run on December 15 thanks to completing 11 towers in the mighty Padma River overcoming all odds.

Source: Daily Sun