Prime Minister Tarique Rahman visited the 1,200-megawatt ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plant at Matarbari in Maheshkhali, Cox’s Bazar, on August 9. He said Bangladesh needs to diversify energy sources while meeting rising electricity demand. The prime minister also said economic capacity, environmental impacts and the public’s long-term interests should receive the highest priority in power generation and management of major infrastructure.

He stressed integrated development around Matarbari, covering power, energy, a deep-sea port and related industrial infrastructure. Planned and effective use of these facilities could play an important role in energy security, industrialisation and overall economic activity, he said. Project officials briefed him on the plant’s current status, generation and operational activities, production capacity, fuel supply and management, operating efficiency, maintenance, safety arrangements and future plans.

Arriving by helicopter at 10:45am on Sunday, the prime minister attended a briefing from 11am to 12:15pm and planted a neem sapling in the project area. Officials also outlined a proposed solar power project and showed him sites earmarked for a proposed LNG-based power plant, a metrochemical project and a new refinery. He later inspected the coal jetty and observed the deep-sea port, LNG terminal and other plant facilities.