The Maitree super thermal power project was constructed by the Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company (BIFPCL), a 50:50 joint venture between the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and National Thermal Power Corporation, an Indian Government-owned electric utility company.
The project involved a capital investment of approximately $1.6bn.
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Financial closure for the thermal power project was achieved in April 2017 through a financing agreement with Indian EXIM Bank for the main plant engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) turnkey package.
The construction of the project commenced in April 2017. The first unit of the power project was commissioned in September 2022 while the second unit was inaugurated in November 2023.
The power generated from the project is supplied to the BPDB.
Maitree super thermal power project location
The Maitree super thermal power project is located at Rampal, in the district of Bagerhat, within Khulna division, Bangladesh.
The project site is located 14km north-east of the Mongla port and 14km north-west of the Sundarbans mangrove area.
Maitree super thermal power project details
The power plant includes two steam-based 660MW power generation units, as well as pulverised coal-fired supercritical boiler units, steam turbines, and generators.
Each boiler unit features a regenerative air heater, boiler proper, two induced-draft fans and two forced-draft fans.
The power plant uses light diesel fuel oil for boiler start-up, flame stabilisation and low-load operation.
The steam flow at the superheater outlet of the boilers is 2,120 tonnes (t) per hour at 568°C while steam pressure is approximately 256kg/cm². Steam flow at the reheater outlet is approximately 1,708.2t per hour at 596°C.
The steam generators’ design incorporates a balanced draft furnace, a single reheat type suitable for outdoor installation.
A single-pass or two-pass type is used as a gas pass arrangement. The boilers support a variable pressure operation boiler maximum continuous rating ranging between 30% and 100%, with and without a 5% throttle margin while the design also enables low nitrous oxide formation.
The Maitree super thermal power plant has a stack height of more than 275m. The design features a twin-flue steel-lined reinforced concrete chimney.
Infrastructure of the Maitree plant
The main plant comprises a turbine building, boiler structures, and an integrated control and electrical building.
In addition to the powerhouse, the main project includes auxiliary facilities, including a raw water reservoir, switchyard, water pretreatment system, surface water reverse osmosis type desalinisation plant, and a demineralisation plant.
Other facilities include a circulating cooling water pump house, coal and ash handling systems, an effluent treatment plant, and accommodation for the project staff.
The project also includes a 1.2km-long jetty, along with conveyors and a coal storage facility.
Coal supply and handling
The Maitree super thermal power project receives up to 4.7 million tonnes per annum of coal, via the Passur River via Fairway Buoy.
The preferred anchorage points include the Fairway Buoy and the Mazhar Point. Coal is unloaded at the power plant jetty, which is designed to handle multiple vessels.
The berth also handles smaller barges for fly ash, limestone, and gypsum.
The jetty infrastructure includes a conveyor, hopper, grab-type unloader, crane and other mobile equipment.
The project specifies the use of coal with a gross calorific value of 5,400kcal/kg-6,300kcal/kg, an average sulphur content of 0.6% and a maximum moisture content of 15%.
Contractors involved in Maitree super thermal power project
Magaldi Power, an engineering company and technology provider, installed a Magaldi Ash Conveyor, a dry bottom ash handling system for the project in December 2022.
Indian state-owned engineering and manufacturing enterprise Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) received the EPC contract for the project in July 2016.
BHEL subcontracted global technology company GE to supply pressure part components for the project in May 2017.
Bangladesh-based consultancy company Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services was engaged by BPDB and BIFPCL to conduct the environmental assessment for the Maitree super thermal power project.
Construction materials supplier Dextra was contracted to provide its Marine Tie Bar systems to connect piles and waling beams for the jetty of the power plant.
