The first unit of the Payra coal-fired power plant in Bangladesh has begun generating electricity, under a test phase which began on January 13.  

The first unit will gradually ramp up to its generation capacity of 660MW. Once fully completed, the plant will have a capacity of 1320MW, with the second unit expected to be completed in June. Total project cost is estimated at US$2 billion.

The power plant is located in Patuakhali district, around 204 kilometres south of capital Dhaka. It is a joint venture between the North-West Power Generation Company Bangladesh Limited and China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation.

The facility will be fueled by imported coal from Indonesia and Australia.

In another major project in Bangladesh, Chinese engineers recently installed the latest span of the bridge spanning the Padma River, to the south of the capital Dhaka.

The latest 150-meter-long span is the 21st from a total of 41 on the 6.15-kilometre bridge, which has two decks. The upper deck is for road transport, and the lower deck for railway tracks.

The bridge is being built by China Major Bridge Engineering Company, and is expected to be opened in 2022.

The bridge will better connect nearly 30 million people in Bangladesh's southwest region to the rest of the country, and enhance regional trade along the Asian highway No. 1 and the Trans-Asian railway network.