Barapukuria coal mine: Production resumes on trial basis

The production at the country's lone operational coal mine at Barapukuria in northern Dinajpur started on a trial basis in a new phase this week, following a cease in production for four months since June.

But the coronavirus pandemic has held back from its potential production capacity to almost one-third as local workers were not being able to work after being tested corona positive very frequently.

"At present, only some 270 Chinese workers are involved in extracting coal," state-owned Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Ltd (BCMCL) managing director Md Kamruzzaman Khan told the FE on Saturday.

None of the regular local workers, numbering around 1,100, is being able to work in the mine since initiation of the trial production on September 10.

"We have, however, made arrangements for isolation and quarantine for the workers if anybody tests coronavirus positive or have symptoms," said Mr Khan.

During the trail production, around 500-600 tonnes of coal are being extracted from the mine everyday with the Chinese manpower.

Regular production with the Chinese workers will be doubled to around 1,200 tonnes per day.

Once, regular workforce joins, the overall coal production will triple to around 3,500 tonnes per day, said the BCMCL top official.

Experts, however, opined that the lower than expected coal production might hamper the regular electricity generation from the nearby Barapukuria coal-fired power plant.

Currently, electricity generation from the nearby Barapukuria coal-fired power plant is limited to the newly built third unit's 150 megawatt, or MW, which is one-third of its overall production capacity of 525 MW.

Around 5,000 tonnes of coal will be required if the power plant runs in full capacity, he said

The currently operational third unit of the plant will require 2,800 tonnes of coal alone if it runs in full generation capacity of 275 MW.

The power plant buys coal from the BCMCL at US$ 130 per tonne to generate electricity.

Electricity generation costs from the newly constructed third unit would be around Tk 6.0-6.5 per unit (1-kilowatt-hour).

The Barapukuria coal mine produces high quality bituminous coal with very negligible sulphur content, he said.

The Heating value of Barapukuria coal is around 11,040 british thermal unit (btu) per pound, said sources.

[email protected]