The coal-fired Rampal Power Plant in Bagerhat has finally started electricity generation on experimental basis through adding 660MW of electricity to the national grid produced from its first unit. Rampal power plant, formally known as Maitree Super Thermal Power Project, started its experimental power generation from Saturday night, Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) Director Shamim Hasan said. Read more: Hasina, Modi jointly unveil Rampal Power Plant’s unit 1 He said it may take a week to a month to start commercial operation of unit-1. Anwarul Azim, deputy manager of Rampal thermal power plant, said 660MW of electricity is being produced from unit-1. Of this, 400MW is being added to the National Grid in Dhaka via Aminbazar-Gopalganj transmission line and 260MW is being supplied to Khulna-Bagerhat. Further 660MW electricity from the coal-fired power plant’s unit-2 will be added to the national grid in June 2023, he added. “Already 79.35 percent of the work of unit-2 has been completed,” he informed. Read more: First coal shipment for Rampal power plant arrives from Indonesia The 1320 (2x660) MW coal-fired power plant has been set up at a cost of approximately USD 2 billion and is located in Rampal, in the Bagerhat district under Khulna division of Bangladesh. The Maitree Super Thermal Power Project is being constructed under the Indian government’s concessional financing scheme. It was built by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) for the Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Private Ltd. The latter is a 50:50 joint venture company between India's National Thermal Power Company (NTPC) Ltd and Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), said the officials. Read more: Power flow set up from Payra plant to Rampal sub-station Rampal power plant is being set up with super critical technology to actively mitigate environmental impact. The coal imported as raw material for power generation at this station is being transported through the Pasur river in the Sundarbans. Unit-1 of the power plant was successfully synchronized with the national grid on August 15 this year. On September 6, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi jointly unveiled unit-1 of the power plant. Once both units are commissioned, Rampal power plant will be one of the largest in Bangladesh, Subhash Chandra Pandey, project director of Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company (Pvt.) Limited, told UNB.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi today (September 6, 2022) jointly unveiled unit 1 of Maitree Super Thermal Power Project in Bagerhat’s Rampal. Constructed under India’s concessional financing scheme, the project will add 1320 MW to Bangladesh’s national grid. Earlier, Hasina and Modi witnessed signing of seven bilateral instruments after holding talks at Hyderabad House in India’s capital city. Read Chinese-Bangladeshi consortium, BPDB to sign deal for Mongla wind power plant The first unit of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant will go into commercial operation early October, in a major stride in growing Bangladesh-India power sector cooperation, an official told UNB. Unit 1 of the 1320 (2x660) MW coal-fired power plant in Rampal was successfully synchronized with the national grid on August 15. Once both units are commissioned, Rampal power plant will be one of the largest in Bangladesh, Subhash Chandra Pandey, project director of Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company (Pvt.) Limited, told UNB. Read Deal signed to set up waste-based power plant in Narayanganj Unit 2 of the power plant, also known as Rampal coal-fired power project, is expected to be commissioned early next year, he said. Rampal power plant is being set up at a cost of approximately US$ 2 billion and is located in the Bagerhat district of Khulna division, said an official describing the project features in detail. It is being built by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) for the Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Private Ltd. (BIFPCL), a 50:50 joint venture company between India's National Thermal Power Company (NTPC) Ltd and Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), said the officials. Read Inner containment construction of Nuke power plant (Unit-2) starts The project director said the Rampal power plant is being set up with super critical technology to actively mitigate environmental impact. Construction of an advanced ship un-loader 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, among other measures, are in place, he said. On April 6, the 400 kV GIS switchyard and interconnecting transformer of the Rampal power plant was energized. Read A private producer to set up a 3 MW hybrid power plant at Monpura