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Title: Power generation resumption at second unit of Raozan plant still uncertain

from Staff Correspondent, THE INDEPENDENT

CHITTAGONG, May 8: Resumption of generation at the second unit of Raozan Power Station is still uncertain as the visiting Chinese experts who arrived here today could say nothing in this regard.

The five-member Chinese experts' team is here to carry out necessary repairs of the second unit of the plant out of order since April 10.

When contacted, the Chief Engineer of the Raozan Thermal Power Station told The Independent today that the experts' team would examine the plant and estimate the extent of damage caused to it due to mechanical faults on April 10, he added.

The experts would identify the spares to be needed to resume generation at the second unit. The PDB would then purchase the spares either from the local market or from abroad.

The second unit of Raozan 210 MW Power Station was set up by the Chinese firm CMEC on July 1994 at a cost of Tk 538 crore, and went into operation in September 1997.

Since the very beginning, Chinese technicians had been working for maintenance and operation of the two units. In the meantime, the Power Development Board trained up some engineers and technicians to maintain and operate the power stations.

The Power Development Board took over the charge of maintenance and operation of the two units of the power station on November 4, with the complete takeover on December 20 last year.

After the formal handing over, about Tk 8 crore was being saved annually as the PDB had to spend Tk 9 crore for the 56 Chinese technicians against only Tk 1.50 crore for 450 local technicians.

Within 110 days of the taking over from the Chinese technicians the second unit went out of order on April 10.

Since its inception the first unit remained suspended for 19,319 hours due to mechanical faults and disruption of gas supply. This unit faced mechanical faults for about 500 times while the second unit faced 300 times.

It takes at least 72 hours to resume generation if any unit is suspended for mechanical faults.

Meanwhile, none of the two units, was able to run in full capacity to generate 210 MW since its inception. Presently both the units are generating at the maximum rate of 300 MW daily instead of 420 MW.

Both the units of Chinese generators are facing manifold problems from the very beginning.

The first unit of Raozan 210 MW Thermal Power Station was set up in 1990 at a cost of Tk 664 crore with the technical and financial assistance of a Chinese firm CMEC which went into operation on July in 1993 last.

http://independent-bangladesh.com/news/may/09/09052000mt.htm#A6

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-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), May 09, 2000

Answers

This one's a little confusing, Dee? Chittagong? Raozon? Any idea what country they are talking about?

-- JackW (jpayne@webtv.net), May 10, 2000.

I thought I knew my geography, but I must admit, I have no idea where on earth Chittagong is.

-- Billiver (billiver@aol.com), May 10, 2000.

I've heard of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Wasn't that a novel by Ian Fleming? What's this place? Any connection?

-- Loner (loner@bigfoot.com), May 10, 2000.

Sorry ya'all...I should have been more specific.

Chittagong is a large city in Bangladesh. It is east of Burma and South of Dhaka.

-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), May 10, 2000.