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Baraukuria: Questions raised over renovation costs, quality of works
Barapukuria thermal power plant. Collected photo.
The Barapukuria Coal-Fired Thermal Power Plant in Parbatipur, Dinajpur, has come to a complete standstill after all three of its units were shut down due to repeated mechanical failures. As a result, electricity supply to the national grid from this 525 MW capacity plant has dropped to zero.
Most recently, on October 5, the 125 MW Unit 1 was shut down, followed by the closure of the 275 MW Unit 3 the next day, October 6, both due to technical faults. Unit 2 (125 MW) has remained non-operational since November 2020. Consequently, no unit at the facility is currently generating power.
Unit 3, the largest unit at the plant, had returned to operation on May 20 following a major, long-term overhaul costing approximately Tk 52 crore. Despite seven months of maintenance work, it broke down just five days later on May 25 due to faults in two critical components. After remaining non-operational for 29 days, it resumed generation on June 25 and ran for roughly three months and 13 days before failing again on October 6.
Reports indicate that Unit 3 was initially shut down for general overhauling in October 2025. Following seven months of repair work, it was restarted in May, but the rapid recurrence of mechanical faults has raised serious concerns regarding the effectiveness and quality of the overhaul process.
Prior to the recent shutdowns, Unit 3 was supplying around 170 MW and Unit 1 was contributing about 65 MW to the national grid, producing a combined total of roughly 235 MW. The consecutive shutdowns on October 5 and 6 completely halted this output.
The repeated breakdowns shortly after a Tk52 crore overhaul have sparked questions regarding the quality of the maintenance work, the durability of the replacement parts, the oversight during repairs, and the overall justification of the expenditure. Experts point out that a major overhaul is intended to ensure reliable, long-term operation; frequent failures shortly after such extensive work signal a clear need to investigate the repair standards and execution.
The total installed capacity of 525 MW is divided among Unit 3 (275 MW) and Units 1 and 2 (125 MW each). With Unit 2 out of service for years and the remaining two units repeatedly malfunctioning, the bulk of the plant's generation capacity remains unutilized.
The complete shutdown of the plant has raised concerns about power stability in the Parbatipur area, with local residents reporting load shedding and low-voltage issues.
Abu Bakkar Siddique, Chief Engineer of the Barapukuria Thermal Power Plant, confirmed that electricity generation across all three units has ceased. He stated that engineers are actively working to resolve the issues and restore operations as quickly as possible. However, he did not provide specific details regarding the exact nature of the fault in Unit 3, the damaged components, the estimated repair timeline, or the reasons behind the recurrent failures following the recent overhaul.
