Bangladesh
Payra Power Plant PM inaugurates 1320 MW Payra Thermal Power Plant, announces 100pc electrification in the country
Own Correspondent, Dhaka, March 21: After inaugurating 1,320 MW Payra Thermal Power Plant, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (March 21, Monday) announced bringing 100 populations under electricity coverage.
With opening the coal-fired power plant with eco-friendly Ultra-Supercritical Technology, Bangladesh has achieved another milestone implementing the government's pledge to bring 100 percent people under electricity coverage.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday at aroun 12 pm inaugurated the country's largest power generator, 'Payra 1320 MW coal-fired power plant'.
Earlier, the Prime Minister reached Payra at 10:45 am. A police team greeted Sheikh Hasina. Later, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was greeted by waving flags and performing music from 200 colourful sailing boats at a well-equipped jetty. After arriving at Payra, the Prime Minister visited the thermal power plant and unveiled its nameplate. During this time 1,320 pigeons were flown.
Photo: PID
Except her Tungipara visit on Bangabandhu's birth anniversary, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is visiting somewhere in the country for the first time during the Corona pandemic.
Bangladesh entered the Ultra Super Critical Club in 2020 with the launch of the Payra thermal power plant. Bangladesh is the 13th country in the world and 7th country in Asia to build such power plant using ultra supercritical technology. In South Asia, apart from Bangladesh, only India has such a thermal power plant.
Asia has power plants of ultra super critical technology in China, Taiwan, Japan and Malaysia. Countries other than China and Bangladesh do not use covered coal yards (domes) in ultra super critical technology centers. The use of domes reduces the chances of scattering coal dust from open coal through the air. It is used only by China and Bangladesh in the world.
Photo: PID
The power plant was built by Bangladesh-China Power Company (BCPCL), an equal partner of Bangladesh's North West Power Generation Company (NWPGCL) and China National Machinery Export and Import Corporation (CMC). The construction of the thermal power plant has cost around Rs 20,000 crore.
The total generating capacity of the power plant is 1,320 MW with two units of 660 MW each. The first unit of 660 MW came into production on May 15, 2020. The second unit of equal capacity came into production on December 8 of the same year. However, as the construction of transmission infrastructure is not completed, less power is being generated from the plant than the capacity.
