The first consignment of coal for a thermal power plant being developed by state-owned NTPC Ltd through a joint venture in Bangladesh is getting ready at the port in Kolkata and will be shipped to Mongla Port in the neighbouring country in the next 2-3 days, an official said on Thursday.
The 1,320-MW Rampal Power Plant is being built by BIFPC, the joint venture between India's NTPC Ltd and Bangladesh Power Development Board.
"The first full rake of coal has arrived at Kolkata docks from Dhanbad and is now getting unloaded. It will be shipped to Mongla Port in the next 2-3 days for Rampal Power Plant," Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (formerly Kolkata Port Trust) Deputy Chairman AK Mehera told PTI.
The is the first shipment for a trial run, he said.
"Each rake consists of about 3,800 tonnes of coal. It will be the first export of coal cargo from this port," Mr Mehera said.
The coal-fired unit of Bangladesh India Friendship Power Company was supposed to be completed by December 2020, but the work got delayed, sources said.
The time for completion of Bangladesh's largest power plant, also known as Maitree Super Thermal Power Project, has been extended by a year, they said.
Once the unit will run in full capacity, there will be transportation of 20,000 tonnes of coal cargo per month from Kolkata port, the sources said.
Spread over 1,834 acres of land, the power plant is situated 14 kilometres north of Bangladesh part of Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest and an ecologically sensitive area.
Environmentalists had raised voice against the development of the Rampal Power Plant close to Sundarbans, which is also a UNESCO world heritage site.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
BSF Seizes Rs 4.3 Crore Worth Gold Biscuits Near Indo-Bangladesh Border Bangladesh Calls To Remove "Secular" From Constitution. US Responds Dhaka, Islamabad Inch Closer With Historic Sea Link. How It Impacts India Russia's Firing Of ICBM On Ukraine Is Weapon's 1st Combat Use In History This Asian City Is Emerging As Sex Tourism Hub. It's Not Where You Think Amazon Employee Greets Friend At Wedding, Dies Of Cardiac Arrest PM Modi: Culture, Cuisine, Cricket Strengthen India-Guyana Ties Elon Musk Slams Australia's Plan To Ban Social Media For Kids Under 16 Assam Chief Minister Unveils These Facilities At Legislative Complex Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.