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Matarbari Coal Shipment Rejected Over Soil Contamination
The Coal Power Generation Company Limited (CPGCL) has rejected a shipment of 63,000 tonnes of coal after discovering significant soil contamination in the consignment intended for the Matarbari Power Plant in Cox's Bazar. The cargo has been sent back to the outer anchorage of Chattogram port following the rejection.
Located along the Bay of Bengal on a 1,600-acre site, the Ultra Super Critical Coal-Fired Power Plant at Matarbari has a capacity of 1,200MW. The first unit began commercial operations in December 2022, followed by the second unit in August 2023.
According to CPGCL sources, the coal, supplied by an India-based company that had won the tender to source the material from Indonesia, was found to be heavily contaminated with soil, making it unsuitable for power generation.
"We have formally rejected the shipment and issued a letter to the supplier on Friday," said Nazmul Huq, Executive Director of the Matarbari Coal-Fired Plant Project, in a statement to The Business Standard.
Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) confirmed that the coal-laden vessel was redirected to the outer anchorage following instructions from CPGCL and the shipping company handling the delivery.
The shipment was transported aboard the Singapore-flagged MV Orient Orchid, which entered the Matarbari Channel on March 17. The vessel was operated by Meghna Group of Companies.
Ujjal Kanti Barua, Deputy General Manager of Shipping Operations at Meghna Group, declined to comment on the situation, stating, "We are in discussions with the CPA, and the port authority is handling the matter."
Meanwhile, port officials reported that the conveyor belt used to unload the coal frequently malfunctioned due to the excessive soil in the shipment. "During unloading, we found far more soil than coal," said a CPA official, speaking anonymously.
Captain Abu Sufian, Dock Master at CPA, confirmed that the vessel was instructed to return to the outer anchorage in accordance with directives from the shipping company.