Two units of the Matarbari power plant have gone offline due to a shortage of coal

The two units of the Matarbari 1,200MW coal-fired power plant in Moheshkhali upazila, Cox's Bazar, have halted power generation due to a coal shortage. These units went offline on Thursday, with operations expected to resume by the end of November, according to Muhammad Monowar Hossain Mojumder, superintendent engineer (operation) of the plant.

One of the units began generating power in July, followed by the second in December 2023, both powered by coal imported from Japan. So far, the plant has received 2.25 million tonnes of coal from Japan through Sumitomo Corporation, though the stock has now been depleted. The last shipment, per the contract, arrived in mid-August.

Project officials indicate that the Coal Power Generation Company has issued international tenders for coal supply over the past three years. However, former project director Abul Kalam Azad reportedly delayed the tender process by about 10 months, allegedly to benefit a specific company. Following complaints from other contracting firms, the High Court imposed a six-month ban on coal imports for the plant, though the Supreme Court later lifted it. Despite this, long-term coal procurement remains uncertain.

Monowar Hossain stated that the government is actively working to resolve the situation, with hopes of resuming power generation next month.

The Matarbari 2x600 MW Ultra Super Critical Coal-Fired Power Plant occupies 1,414 acres in the Matarbari and Dhalghata unions of Cox's Bazar. The project, costing Tk 51,854.88 crore, is funded by Tk 6,406.16 crore from the Bangladesh government, Tk 43,921.03 crore from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Tk 1,527.69 crore from Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Limited (CPGCBL).