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Barapukuria coal mine fails to go on line again

KONGKON KARMAKER, Dinajpur
Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Limited (BCMCL) has once again failed to start commercial extraction of coal as Chinese company CMC could not complete mining work within the scheduled time, BCMCL sources said.
This is for the seventh time the BCMCL failed to start operation of the mine that was scheduled to go into commercial production in July.
A 20-day test extraction drama at Barapukuria that started on September 18 has now ended, delaying
the country's first coal-based power project by at least another two to four months, sources said.
The Chinese company is engaged in mine development work at Barapukuria in Dinajpur since 1992 under a suppliers' credit arrangement. China Bank invested Tk 1,600 crore in this project.
Sources said the temperature, moisture and methane intensity in the mining area went up too high, disrupting coal extraction from the mine. To avert any casualties, the authorities suspended extraction on October 4 and shifted the mine workers but they failed to prevent damage to machinery at the mining site.
On October 5, mining experts sensed leakage of carbon dioxide and burning methane underground in the mine area. To avert danger, they sealed a 450 by 120 metre area, sources said.
After the incident, the CMC sent a letter to its insurer General Insurance Company, claiming the insurance money of about Tk 1,200 crore, sources said.
Barapukuria Coal Mine Project Authority high officials told The Daily Star that without completing some vital construction work in the mining areas, the authorities started coal extraction, which led to leakage of gases posing danger. The remaining construction work would take at least six more months to complete.
Experts pointed out it would be quite difficult to extract coal from the mine and even if it is possible, it would take at least one year more. The machinery and equipment might also become unsable due to the incident.
The coal-based power project at Barapukuria is now going to be delayed, causing deferral of a coal purchase agreement with the PDB and Petrobangla.
Sources in the power project authorities said the 250-MW coalbased Barapukuria thermal power plant will go into operation when they get sufficient coal. The project director said they have completed their preparations to press the plant into service.
According to the contract with the CMC, it will develop the field and hand it over to the energy ministry. The government took up this project 10 years ago to supply coal to Barapukuria coal-based power plant, and to explore new energy sources in the country.
The Chinese company had earlier announced that Bangladesh would enter coal mining era in July this year with the start of commercial production at Barapukuria.
The mine has a deposit of about 390 million tonnes of high quality bituminous coal within 6.68 sq km area and 20 percent of it can be extracted, sources mentioned.