Additional 360mw power likely by Aug ’08

FE Team | Published: August 27, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Doulot Akter Mala
The country is likely to get additional 360-megawatt of power by August 2008 as the energy ministry has made a move to establish 10 small power plants (SPPs) and four rental power plants in separate locations of the country.
The energy ministry recently gave the approval on setting up of the gas-based power plants.
It has assured the Power Division of supply of gas for 15 years to the SPPs and rental power plants.
The SPPs are Narshingdi 20 MW, Mauna in Gazipur 30 MW, Jangalia 30 MW, Feni 20 MW, Barobukunda 20 MW, Mohipal 10 MW, Habiganj 10 MW, Ullapara 10 MW, Rupganj 30 MW and Tangail 20 MW.
The rental power plants include -- Bogra 20 MW, Shahajibazar 80 MW, Fenchuganj 50 MW and Kumargoan 10 MW.
There are proposals for establishment of 17 small and rental power plants. But due to lack of proper logistic support and absence of gas lines the energy ministry proposed alternative locations for three power plants.
The proposed alternative locations are Muchai, Kailashtila, Jalalabad and Fenchuganj for setting up 100-200 MW power plants instead of the Shikalbaha 50 MW, Feni 20 MW and Barbkundo 20 MW."
Talking to the FE Sunday, the energy secretary ANM Nasiruddin said: "The country has sufficient supply of gas, but it will take time to build proper infrastructure in those locations, proposed by the entrepreneurs earlier," he said.
"The power plants are freshly proposed, and they are not included in our master plan. So, we could not ensure the supply of gas in those locations, and we had to propose convenient alternative locations for setting up the power plants," he said.
It will take four more years to extend gas pipelines in those locations, he said.
"We had to propose the alternative locations as the entrepreneurs want to set up the SPPs by 2008," he added.
On July 2, the purchase committee of the caretaker government gave approval to awarding of contracts for 10 SPPs at a tariff rate better than that of the previously cancelled bids.
Finance adviser Mirza Azizul Islam, who presided over the purchase body meeting, said the new tariff rate will help the government save around Tk 4.50 billion.