The first unit of the Matarbari Coal-Powered Plant in Cox's Bazar will go into commercial production in January 2024, the project director told the parliamentary standing committee on environment, forest and climate change.

The unit, part of the first phase of the project, has a capacity of generating 1200MW, according to the website of Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Ltd, which is implementing the project.

On Thursday, members of the parliamentary committee, led by lawmaker Saber Hossain Chowdhury, visited the power plant to see its progress and the steps it has taken to tackle the projected pollution from the coal-fired plant.

In a meeting later that day between the parliamentary committee members and project authorities, Abul Kalam, director of the project, said measures to contain pollution, like using Ultra Super Critical Technology, have been taken.

In the meeting, the project director said the power production from this plant will begin in January 2024, and 82 percent of the structural work has been done.

Saber underscored the need to ensure that there was no waterlogging due to the construction of the power plant in the project area.

Local lawmaker Ashek Ullah Rafique said there were payments to labourers and locals pending and urged the chairman of the standing committee to look into the matter.