Ashuganj power plant needs thorough overhaul
Bangladesh engineers can do the job, need decision by higher authorities, says its MD
Sheikh Shahidul Islam, B'baria
Ashuganj power plant, the second biggest electricity producing unit in the country, is gradually losing its generating capacity due lack of overhauling for long. Bangladeshi engineers can overhaul the plant but the initiative can not be taken due to lack of decision by higher authorities, its Managing Director Md Shahidur Rahman Khan told this correspondent. The plant now generates 400 to 459 mw electricity a day against its capacity of 688 mw, other sources in the plant said. There are seven units in the plant and all of them have crosses their time limit. Unit-1 with a capacity to produce 64 mw electricity is idle now. Only two units64 mw Unit-2 and 150 mw Unit-3 -- are operating optimally. Unit-4 is generating 85 mw power against its capacity of 150 mw and Unit-5 is producing 80 mw against 150 mw. Unit-6 (gas turbine-1) generates 40 mw power against its capacity of 55 mw and Unit-7 (gas turbine-2) generates 40 mw out of 55 mw. The plant was set up with two units in 1966 with assistant from the then West German government. Five units were added with financial assistance World Bank and other donors. All the seven units started operation in 1988, producing 688 mw power. As days passed, their generation capacity declined due to lack of overhauling. At least one unit remains inoperative now while the rest also often falter. Unit-1 is inoperative since April 28 following leakage in its boiler tube, which is yet to be repaired. The sources however said Bangladeshi engineers and staff of the plant are working to repair the unit. The plant is in such a rundown condition that, five units stopped generation at a time about 10 months back. Local engineer restored the operation. Again, a few days later, three units stopped generation at a time. Suspension of power generation in one or two units is now almost a regular feature, the sources said. Seeking anonymity, an official said all the units have crossed their time for overhauling two to three years ago. Only one unit has been overhauled. Most of the machinery and equipment in the rest six units are in dilapidated conditions and may stop generation any time, they said. Replying to a question, the MD said Bangladeshi engineers can overhaul the plant but we can not take any decision as it involves a huge amount of money. At least Tk five crore will be needed to overhaul one unit, he said. Bangladeshi engineers are capable of overhauling all the units if equipment is supplied, he added. In the past, local engineers did major repair works successfully and saved huge amounts of foreign currency. They overhauled the Gas Turbine-1 in June last year and save at least Tk 10 crore in foreign currency, he said. Overhauling of a unit must be done after every 50,000 hours of operation but the units are in operation for 80,000 to 1,50,000 hours without overhauling. The last overhauling of Unit-1 was done in 1989, Unit-2 in 1994 and Unit-3 in 2003. Unit-4 and Unit-5 have not been overhauled since their installation in 1987 and 1988 respectively. Several leakages have been created in the condense tube and boiler tube in Unit-4 and Unit-5. Md. Shahidur Rahman Khan said once foreign engineers were need even for repair. Local engineers can now do the repair and overhauling work. He said the demand for power is increasing day by day but the plants generation is decreasing. The authorities concerned should take a decision immediately to overhaul six units of the plant to avert any unhappy situation that will affect a large number of people in Brahmanbaria and surrounding areas.
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