BPDB seeks five yrs to implement Baghabari plant project

The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has sought five years' time to convert the existing 100-megawatt (MW) power plant to a 150MW one failing to start work during its first two years' tenure, officials said Thursday.

Project insiders said the government in 2013 approved a project to convert the Baghabari 100MW plant during the period of January 2013 to December 2014. It later got one more year's extension up to December 2015.
Yet, the state-owned power producer BPDB failed to start the physical work of the project and recently sought two more years up to December 2017 for raising the capacity of the plant, they said.

The Power Division, on behalf of the BPDB, recently sought extension of the project implementation time from the Planning Commission (PC).
Experts, however, criticised the worst performance of the BPDB and recommended tough stance of the government for such failure of the officials concerned.
A senior Power Division official said the BPDB has even failed to appoint the consultant in the last two and a half years for the project.
The consultant will prepare tender document for inviting bids from the international contractors to convert the 100 MW CC power plant to 150MW one.
A project insider said the BPDB, however, purchased vehicles spending Tk 12.5 million from the fund of the project.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in early 2013 approved the 'Conversion of 100MW Gas Turbine Baghabari combined cycle (CC) power plant to 150MW one' at Tk 4.34 billion cost.
Energy expert Professor M Tamim told the FE that such a kind of delay escalates the cost of a project and the country is deprived of economic benefits from the power project.
He said the government agencies are not being able to overcome shortcomings of their capacity.
"The government should be tougher on improving efficiency and monitor all the important projects closely," Prof Tamim added.
A senior PC official said: "Such practice of delaying project implementation in Bangladesh is not new. But policymakers do not go for tough actions against such failures. It encourages repeat of such misdeeds." If the plant can generate 50MW additional power in time, its economic return could be higher and the country could get more benefits from it, he told the FE.
A BPDB official said: "They are expected to appoint a consultant by January 2016. The consultant will prepare the tender document. Then an international tender will be invited."
"We are expecting to sign agreement with the selected contractors for the conversion work of the plant by August 2016. And the conversion work is expected to be complete by December 2017," he added.
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