Payra power station (BCPCL) — Bangladesh

Payra power station (BCPCL) is a 2,640 MW coal power station in Barisal, Bangladesh. It is operated by Bangladesh-China Power Co Ltd [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 3.3 million homes (estimated). It ranks #8 of 129 Bangladesh power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2020, it is around 6 years old — recently built. In context, coal supplies about 21.5% of Bangladesh's electricity; the national grid averages 696 gCO₂/kWh (2.1% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GEM_coa_payrabcpcl_bangl.

Capacity provenance

The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 1,320 MW for Payra power station (BCPCL), but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).

Data provenance

Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.

capacity: GEM GCPT; fuel: GEM GCPT

In context: how this plant compares

At 2,640 MW, Payra power station (BCPCL) is well above the median coal plant in Bangladesh (1,320 MW). Technically it is described as ultra-supercritical. Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Key facts

Share of Bangladesh coal capacity

6.9% of 38,390 MW across 29 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

1 of 15 dated coal plants in Bangladesh is older

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Capacity vs largest coal plants in Bangladesh

Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Bangladesh-China Power Co Ltd [100%].

Climate zone & how it works

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 22.0°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Climate zone & typical temperatures: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).

Site climate & environmental severity

This site sits in an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion the leading environmental stress.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #3 largest coal power plant of 29 in Bangladesh by capacity.

Bangladesh has 29 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 38,390 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Payra LNG power station · Gas · 3,600 MW · Barisal
• Patuakhali power station (RPCL/NORINCO) · Coal · 2,640 MW · Barisal
• Sena Kalyan Sangstha power station · Coal · 1,320 MW · Barisal
• Patuakhali power station (Ashuganj) · Gas · 3,600 MW · Barisal
• Barisal power station · Coal · 700 MW · Barisal
• United Payra power plant · Oil · 147.3 MW · Patuakhali

Location

Coordinates 21.9999671, 90.3056554 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions