Dinajpur, Sep 13 (V7N)- Partial production has resumed at the Barapukuria Thermal Power Station after a brief shutdown for repairs, providing some relief to the national grid. The power plant, located in Dinajpur, restarted its 125 MW unit on Thursday, supplying between 60 and 65 megawatts of electricity, according to Abu Bakr Siddique, the chief engineer of the power plant.

The unit had been out of operation for the past seven days due to maintenance work. However, the plant's largest unit, with a capacity of 275 MW, remains non-operational due to a mechanical fault. This has exacerbated the power crisis in the northern region of Bangladesh, where residents in eight districts have faced severe load shedding.

The shutdown of three units at the 525 MW Barapukuria plant has strained the electricity supply, and despite the resumption of partial production, authorities warn that the situation is unlikely to improve significantly until the largest unit is back online.

The 275 MW unit, which resumed operations on September 2 following repairs, was forced to shut down again just four days later on September 6 due to ongoing technical issues. Additionally, the plant’s 125 MW Unit 2 has been offline since November 2020 for renovation and remains out of service.

With power shortages affecting large parts of the northern region, residents are hopeful for a swift resolution to the technical difficulties at Barapukuria, although officials caution that the recovery may take time.