B Mirror Report: The Maitree Super Thermal Power Project (MSTPP), commonly known as the Rampal power plant, has sought an urgent Tk 1,000 crore fund from the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) to ensure uninterrupted electricity generation, officials said.

Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company (BIFPCL), which operates the 1,320MW plant, said in a letter that any delay in fund disbursement could lead to loan repayment defaults and disrupt coal imports, potentially triggering demurrage charges.

In the letter sent on May 10, BIFPCL Managing Director Ramanath Pujari requested that the funds be released by May 20, noting that banking activities would be limited ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha holidays.

The company said the plant is currently generating around 1,234MW of dependable capacity and supplying electricity to the national grid. Daily coal expenses stand at Tk 24–26 crore, pushing monthly fuel costs above Tk 700 crore. An additional Tk 300 crore is required for loan repayment obligations, customs duties, maintenance, and operational costs.

BIFPCL also said that it is currently owed over Tk 1,000 crore by the government for supplied electricity, adding that further delays in payment could create financial and operational stress.

Energy sector officials said any disruption in Rampal’s output during the peak summer demand period could strain the national grid, potentially increasing reliance on costly oil-based power generation and raising overall electricity costs.

The plant has been contributing significantly to national supply, reportedly accounting for 8–11.5 per cent of grid electricity in recent months. It generated over 700 million units in April 2026, representing more than 9 per cent of total national output for the month, while in December 2025 it supplied about 11.5 per cent of total generation.

Earlier, on March 24, the company also sought Tk 903 crore for repayment of a $40 million loan instalment to India’s Exim Bank.

BPDB officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said outstanding dues to Rampal stood at around Tk 1,200 crore at the end of April, largely due to delays in government subsidy disbursement. They added that repeated requests have been made to the Finance Division for release of pending power sector subsidies.

An official from the Finance Division said Tk 36,000 crore had been allocated for power subsidies in the revised FY2025–26 budget, of which about Tk 20,000 crore had been disbursed by April-end. However, officials noted that total subsidy claims from power plants have already reached around Tk 50,000 crore, exceeding the budgeted allocation.