Ashuganj power plant needs urgent overhaul

Ashuganj power station now limps with run-down machinery. Photo: STAR

Ashuganj Power Station Company Limited (APSCL) can not produce power to the capacity while the power station, one of the largest in the country, sees gradual fall in production due to rundown machinery.
Although the capacity of eight power-generating units is 724 megawatt (MW), the station can now produce around 618 MW, sources at the power station said.
Out of eight units, GT-1, GT-2 and ST (combined cycle) units are incurring heavy losses and the authorities have a plan to set up a 150 MW power unit soon by replacing the three units, said a reliable source.
As several units are not functioning well, the authorities have lowered its production capacity to 678 MW. But it has failed to generate the said amount of electricity regularly. Even sometimes power production goes below 350 MW.
Sources said most of the units of the station are in a dilapidated condition and two or three units often remain out of order. The units also become inoperative due to technical faults and lack of proper maintenance.
Unit-1 of 64 MW and unit2 of 64 MW went into operation in 1970 while unit3 of 150 MW, unit4 of 150 MW, unit5 of 150 MW, gas turbine (GT)-1 unit of 56 MW, GT-2 unit of 56 MW and combined cycle steam turbine (ST) of 34 MW started production between the years 1982 and 1988.
According to official record of APSCL, authorities cannot fully depend on any unit of the station. The power generation of the units is not up to the mark in view of the production cost, the record says.
All units, excepting unit5, have exceeded the time limit of 50,000 working hours long ago but the authorities have not taken any initiative yet for overhauling, sources said.
However, a high official of APSCL on condition of anonymity said it would be better to repair the faults of the units again and again instead of doing overhauling work spending crores of taka as the units are obsolete.
Another source said spare parts of the units are not available in the market. In order to get spare parts, the APSCL authorities will have to give order to respective firms at least one year ago.
Contacted, Abdul Khaleque, managing director of APSCL, said six units of the station need overhauling. "It is not possible to do overhauling work of all the units at a time. We are going to take a plan to perform overhauling gradually," he said.
The MD added that they have a plan to set up a 150 MW unit replacing GT1, GT2 and ST units while another 450 MW unit replacing unit-1 and unit-2.
A feasibility study of the replacement project is going on at the station. APSCL is trying to get financial support from various development partners, he added.