Payra Power Plant

The Payra 1320 MW thermal power plant is a 1,320 megawatt coal-fired power station built in Kalapara Upazila of Patuakhali District in southern Bangladesh. It is a joint venture between the North-West Power Generation Company Bangladesh Limited (NWPGCL) and China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC). Till May 2023, this plant was producing 700 to 1000 megawatts of electricity every day.

History
On 19 March 2015, a deal was signed between NWPGCL and the CMC to set up the Payra Power Plant. The joint venture was named Bangladesh-China Power Company Limited (BCPCL). On 29 March 2016, BCPCL signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with consortium of NEPC &CECC for the installation of the power plant.

About
The plant consists of two units, each with a capacity of 660 MW. The cost was estimated initially around US$1.56 billion; the total project cost was US$2.48 billion. The plant has been built on an area of 397 hectare. The first unit became operational on the 15th May 2020 and the second unit on the 8th December 2020. It is the largest electricity generating unit of Bangladesh currently in operation. On 21 March 2022, PM Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the power plant after it was fully completed.