Barapukuria: Coal production from Barapukuria coal mine under Parbartipur Upazila of the district began today, 10 days before the scheduled time. ‘Coal extraction from the new 1305 no phase has begun around 12 am today (Saturday) on an experimental basis,’ said the General Manager of Barapukuria Coal Mine Company Limited (BCMCL).
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, coal production was halted on November 30 last year as the stock was exhausted. Authorities initially expected production to resume in the first week of February following the completion of development works on the new coal phase.
The General Manager stated that around 1,500-2,000 tonnes of coal are expected to be extracted daily from the new 1414 no phase in the first week of extraction. This figure is anticipated to rise to 3,000-3,500 tonnes per day subsequently.
The early commencement of coal production was achieved due to directives from Petrobangla and the Board of Directors of BCMCL, alongside the combined efforts of the BCMCL consortium employees and local laborers. This move aims to ensure an uninterrupted coal supply to the Barapukuria thermal power plant.
The production target from the new phase is approximately 3.95 lakh tonnes, with extraction expected to continue until June 2025. Previously, nearly 4.81 lakh tonnes of coal were produced from the 1414 no phase, surpassing the target by 22 percent.