South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-keun has visited the project site in Matarbari Coal-powered Plant to observe the work being done by 75 Korean engineers and to encourage them. 

He was briefed on the progress by project managers, listened to the challenges faced by the South Korean firm POSCO E&C, and discussed solutions to overcome them. 

During the visit on Monday, Ambassador Lee said that South Korean companies are actively involved in major infrastructure projects in Bangladesh, including Taeyoung E&C’s involvement in the Bhandal Juri water supply project and Samsung C&T’s role in the construction of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s Terminal 3. 

Despite the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic during the launch of these projects, they have received high commendation from Bangladesh authorities for their punctuality and high-quality outputs, he added. South Korean companies are anticipated to expand their operations in major infrastructure construction projects in Bangladesh.  

The Matarbari Coal-fired Power Plant project is expected to improve electricity supply in the region, thus supporting economic development of Bangladesh and well-being of the people, said the South Korean Embassy in Dhaka on Tuesday. 

According to the South Korean corporation, POSCO E&C, the construction of the coal-fired power plant is on schedule and 95.9% of the construction has been completed as of February 2023. 

The Matarbari Ultra Super Critical Coal Fired Power Plant Project involves building a coal-fired power plant with the capacity of generating 1,200 megawatts (MW) of power and affiliated facilities over a period of seven years with the funding provided by JICA. 

Japan’s Sumitomo, Toshiba, and IHI are collaborating as a consortium to implement the project, with POSCO E&C subcontracted to construct the major part of the plant. 

As part of its commitment to supporting the region’s economy, POSCO E&C has employed some 4,000 local workers daily on average. 

Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the construction of the coal-powered plant began in March 2020 and proceeded without delay. 

In order to meet the completion target, POSCO E&C has worked day and night without day-offs since the project inception, said the South Korean Embassy. 

It is anticipated that the first unit of the Matarbari coal-powered plant will start commercial production in January 2024, with the second unit following in July of the same year.