Matarbari Plant: Both units to go into production by July 2024

The first unit of the 1,200MW Matarbari coal-fired plant will go into production in January next year and the second unit by July that year, said South Korean embassy in a statement.

Each unit is capable of generating 600 megawatts.

According to South Korean firm, POSCO Engineering & Construction (POSCO E&C), the construction of the largest coal-fired power plant in the country is on schedule and 95.9 percent of the work has been completed.

The Matarbari Ultra Super Critical Coal-Fired Power Project involves building a coal-fired power plant and affiliated facilities over a period of seven years with funding from Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica).

Japan’s Sumitomo, Toshiba, and IHI are collaborating to implement the project, with POSCO E&C subcontracted to construct the major part of the plant. As part of its commitment to support the region’s economy, POSCO E&C employs on average 4,000 local workers a day.

Despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the construction of the plant began in March 2020 and proceeded without delay.

On Monday, South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-keun visited the project site.

In a statement, he said that Korean companies are actively involved in major infrastructure projects in Bangladesh, including Taeyoung E&C’s involvement in the Bhandal Juri water supply project and Samsung C&T’s role in the construction of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Terminal-3.

Due to their outstanding reputation, Korean companies are anticipated to expand their operations in major infrastructure construction projects in Bangladesh, he added.