All Five Kaptai Power Units Resume After Lake Rises

All five units of the Karnaphuli Hydroelectric Power Station in Kaptai have resumed operations after the water level of Kaptai Lake increased following several days of heavy rainfall.

The five units have been running simultaneously since 6:00pm on Tuesday, generating a combined 144 megawatts (MW) of electricity.

Plant Manager Engineer Mahmood Hasan said continuous rainfall and increased water inflow from upstream significantly raised the lake’s water level, allowing authorities to operate all generating units.

Units 1 and 2 are each producing 32 MW, Unit 3 is generating 30 MW, while Units 4 and 5 are producing 25 MW each, bringing the total output to 144 MW.

The hydropower station has an installed generation capacity of 230 MW.

Officials at the plant’s control room said the water level of Kaptai Lake stood at 79.86 feet mean sea level (MSL) at 8:00pm on Tuesday, compared to the rule-curve level of 84.96 feet MSL for this period of the year.

The plant had been operating with only one or two units in recent months due to low water levels. Three units resumed operation on Monday, four units were brought online on Tuesday morning, and all five units became operational by Tuesday evening.

Officials said the maximum water retention capacity of Kaptai Lake is 108 feet MSL.