by Staff Correspondent,

The power crisis is set to intensify further in Bangladesh as the authorities were forced to suspend electricity production at one of the major power plants over coal shortages.

The 1320-megawatt Payra thermal power plant, a Bangladesh-China joint venture that began electricity generation in 2020, was shut temporarily on noontime Monday, according to engineers working at the plant.

Earlier on Sunday, State Minister for Energy, Power and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid told media that electricity production at the power plant would go on suspension for at least three weeks due to the coal shortages.

“A unit of the Payra thermal power station is already closed. The other unit will be shut on Monday due to coal shortage,” he told a group of reporters at his office on Sunday.

Ministry official say the stalemate over coal import began after Bangladesh Bank refused to clear $300 million bill overdue and subsequent embargo by the Chinese trade authority not to allow coal import unless the bill is paid by the power plant.

The plant was, however, given $100 million to clear part of the overdue to resume coal import. China National Machinery Import and Export Company (CMC) providing loans for purchasing coal from Indonesia to run the plan.

The government has been trying hard to procure coal to keep the power plants running during the summer, when the electricity demand rises due to scorching heat.

The minister cited that opening of letters of credit at bank has been delayed because of dollar crunch, and the coal import would take 20 to 25 days once the LCs are placed.

Hamid said the power offices are currently running short of supplying 1,700 megawatts of electricity as of Sunday. The extent of power cut will go up with the production suspension of yet another unit of the Payra plant.

Power outage to intensify further as production suspended at Payra plant

by Staff Correspondent,

The power crisis is set to intensify further in Bangladesh as the authorities were forced to suspend electricity production at one of the major power plants over coal shortages.

The 1320-megawatt Payra thermal power plant, a Bangladesh-China joint venture that began electricity generation in 2020, was shut temporarily on noontime Monday, according to engineers working at the plant.

Earlier on Sunday, State Minister for Energy, Power and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid told media that electricity production at the power plant would go on suspension for at least three weeks due to the coal shortages.

“A unit of the Payra thermal power station is already closed. The other unit will be shut on Monday due to coal shortage,” he told a group of reporters at his office on Sunday.

Ministry official say the stalemate over coal import began after Bangladesh Bank refused to clear $300 million bill overdue and subsequent embargo by the Chinese trade authority not to allow coal import unless the bill is paid by the power plant.

The plant was, however, given $100 million to clear part of the overdue to resume coal import. China National Machinery Import and Export Company (CMC) providing loans for purchasing coal from Indonesia to run the plan.

The government has been trying hard to procure coal to keep the power plants running during the summer, when the electricity demand rises due to scorching heat.

The minister cited that opening of letters of credit at bank has been delayed because of dollar crunch, and the coal import would take 20 to 25 days once the LCs are placed.

Hamid said the power offices are currently running short of supplying 1,700 megawatts of electricity as of Sunday. The extent of power cut will go up with the production suspension of yet another unit of the Payra plant.

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