Electricity generation has resumed at Unit 1 of Barapukuria Thermal Power Plant after a six-day shutdown.

The unit is currently supplying around 55 to 60 megawatts of electricity to the national grid, raising hopes of easing load shedding in the northern region.

Chief Engineer Abu Bakkar Siddique said production at the power plant resumed at 10 pm on Friday.

The plant, which has a total capacity of 525 megawatts across three units, brought its 125-megawatt Unit 1 back online after necessary repairs, he added.

The unit had been shut down on April 25 due to a ruptured boiler pipe.

Meanwhile, maintenance work is ongoing at the 275-megawatt Unit 3, which is expected to resume operations by mid-May.

Once operational, it will further boost electricity supply to the national grid.

 The authorities have also decided to repair and restart Unit 2, another 125-megawatt unit that has remained out of service for the past five years.

Barapukuria Thermal Power Plant was established in 2006 to ensure the use of coal from the nearby Barapukuria coal mine and to support irrigation needs in eight agriculture-dependent northern districts.

Initially, the plant began operations with two 125-megawatt units, and a third unit with a capacity of 275 megawatts was added in 2017.