Six firms willing to set up 10 SPPs offer lowest rates

FE Team | Published: June 18, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

M Azizur Rahman
The Power Cell under the Power Division has found five lowest private bidders to set up small independent power plants (IPPs) at ten different locations to generate 200 megawatts (MW) electricity on build, own and operate (BOO) basis across the country.
The Power Cell Sunday opened financial offers of 35 technically responsive bidders at its office in the morning to appraise the electricity prices offered by the private entrepreneurs who will sell electricity to the state-owned power entities across the country.
Sources said among the private entrepreneurs - Summit Power offered the lowest electricity prices for four separate small IPPs, Asian-Entech Power Corporation for three small IPPs and the Regent Textile Mills Ltd, Energypac-Confidence Ltd and Saiham Power one each for three IPPs.
The Summit Power became the lowest bidder for all the three 30 MW small IPPs at Jangalia in Comilla, Rupganj in Narayanganj and Maona in Gazipur offering electricity prices at Tk 2.38 per kilowatt hour (kWh), Tk 2.38 per kWh and Tk 3.88 per kWh respectively.
Summit power has also become the lowest bidder for one 10 MW small IPP at Ullapara in Sirajganj offering Tk 2.49 for per kHz of electricity, power sector sources said.
Asian-Entech Power Corporation offered the lowest electricity price (Tk. 2.28 per kHz) for each of the three 20 MW small IPPs at Tangail, Narsingdi and Feni.
Regent Textile Mills that offered Tk. 2.32 per kWh was found to be the lowest bidder for one 20 MW small IPP at Barabkunda in Chittagong.
Energypac-Confidence Ltd offered the selling price of electricity at Tk 2.48 per kHz to become the lowest bidder at Habiganj.
Saiham Power offered the lowest price at Tk 2.28 per kHz to install a 10 MW power plant at Mohipal in Feni.
All these bidders were earlier selected as technically responsive bidders by the power cell.
The caretaker government in April last revoked the first tender process on charge of discrepancies and irregularities following allegations from a number of entrepreneurs and asked the power cell to invite fresh bids.
Power sector sources said the SPP project was initiated by the BNP-led alliance government in 2004 and changes were made in the project for at least six times during its tenure and tenders cancelled on two occasions.
"We will be able to set up the power units and initiate generating electricity within 15 months from the date of signing agreement," Summit Power Director Muhammad Farid Khan told the FE.
He hoped that his company, having the experience of generating three small power plants, would be able to run the small IPPs efficiently.
Currently the Summit Power generates around 105 MW of electricity and supplies the same to the national grid.