Coal shortage cuts Matarbari power generation

CHATTOGRAM, Apr 18: The production of two units at the Matarbari Ultra Super Critical Coal Fired Power Plant has decreased alarmingly due to a shortage of coal.
Officials from the Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Limited (CPGCBL) confirmed that power generation recently declined, particularly in the current month, at the plant.
Officials stated that the plant was facing a coal shortage due to a disruption in supply, as a shipment was rejected for contamination.
The authority had to send back a coal-laden vessel after detecting impurities in the cargo. Power generation at the Matarbari plant has dropped to 162 MW now, though the production capacity of the two units of the plant is 1200 MW. According to the daily production list of the Power Development Board (PDB) in the Chattogram region, the daily production has been 157 to 162 MW since the first week of the current month. Previously, the production averaged 800 to 1000 MW.
However, PDB sources said the production is likely to start increasing from the first week of May once a new ship arrives. This month's production will remain lower as the authority is using small amount of coal every day. A ship loaded with 63,000 tonnes of coal docked at the Chittagong Port for unloading on March 17, but it was sent back due to a heavy presence of foreign materials like stone, mud, reddish particles, and excessive water in the coal.
Sources said a consortium of Meghna Group's sister concern UCIL and Indian Aditya Birla Group's sister concern AGBT has been supplying coal to the plant since November 2024.

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