Barapukuria power plant Unit 1 back in production after repair

Unit 1 of the Barapukuria coal-fired thermal power plant in Dinajpur has resumed electricity generation. After being shut down for a day due to a mechanical fault in a pump, the unit was brought back online on Saturday morning. Currently, the unit is supplying 50 to 55 megawatts of electricity to the national grid.

Barapukuria Thermal Power Plant Chief Engineer Abu Bakar Siddique said Unit 1 resumed production around 9:43am on Saturday, gradually increasing output to supply 50-55 MW to the national grid.

According to plant sources, a mechanical fault suddenly developed in a pump of Unit 1 on Friday morning, prompting the unit to be shut down for safety reasons. Engineers and technical staff began repairs, and after the fault was fixed, the unit was test-run on Saturday morning before resuming supply to the national grid.

This is the second time in a short period that the unit has faced mechanical issues. Earlier, on July 31, production from Unit 1 was also halted due to a fault, resuming on August 2 after repairs.

The Barapukuria power plant has a total generation capacity of 525 MW. Of the three units, Units 1 and 2 have capacities of 125 MW each, and Unit 3 has a capacity of 275 MW. Unit 3 is currently operational, supplying around 170 to 180 MW to the national grid.

Unit 2 of the plant has been shut down since 2020. As a result, the plant's power supply now largely depends on Units 1 and 3. With Unit 1 back online, the plant's total output has increased, expected to bring some relief to the national grid.