Country to have largest coal-based power project in Cox\\\'s Bazar

The government has undertaken a fresh 1200-megawatt (mw) coal-based power generation project at Matarbari in Cox's Bazar involving Tk 403.21 billion funds, aiming to reduce dependence on natural gas for electricity generation, officials said Thursday.
Power Division has already sent the proposal for installing the Matarbari 600X2 mw ultra super critical coal-fired power plant to the Planning Commission for approval, they said.
"We are now awaiting the ECNEC's (Executive Committee of the National Economic Council) approval for the launching work of the 1200mw coal-based plant, Bangladesh's largest, said a senior Power Division official.
He said after getting ECNEC's nod, the state-owned Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Limited (CPGCBL), the implementing agency, would start construction work of the mega power project within this year.
Bangladesh's largest bilateral donor Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has agreed to bankroll the plant partially, providing nearly $3.7 billion worth of loans in a few tranches, he added.
The newly-formed CPGCBL will install the 1200mw plant along with a small deep-sea port for unloading the imported coal to be used at the proposed plant, a coal silo, ash disposal area, Matarbari-Anwara 61.5 kilometres 400-kilovolt transmission line and an access road.
Matarbari will be developed as a special energy hub with a township and other facilities, the Power Division official said.
Matarbari electricity generation plant will be one of the largest coal-fired plants in the country after the ongoing 250mw capacity Barapukuria plant in the northern district of Dinajpur.
Bangladesh's power generation is heavily dependent on natural gas which has made the power supply system vulnerable due to lack of new discovery of natural gas in the country.
The share of gas in the total power generation is now 82.12 per cent, oil 12.61 per cent, hydro power 2.78 per cent, and coal 2.49 per cent.
Chief Representative of JICA Mikio Hataeda recently told the FE that they were taking preparation to sign the 35th official development assistance (ODA) package with Bangladesh government under which five projects, including Matarbari plant, would be funded.
JICA is set to confirm US$ 1.18 billion worth of concessional loans for Bangladesh's five development projects including $405.52 million for constructing the coal-fired power plant at Matarbari, officials said.
According to a feasibility study conducted by JICA, the coal-based power generation cost at the 1200mw Matarbari plant will be Tk 7.3 per kilowatt-hour (Kwh), which is Tk 8.31 less than the production cost at the oil-based rental power stations in Bangladesh.
The study said the Bangladesh government would be able to save Tk 70 billion per year for generating power by coal at the Matarbari plant compared to that in the oil-based power generation plants.
According to the Power Sector Master Plan, the generation capacity should be 39,000mw in 2030.
It has suggested going for a mixed-fuel option, which should be domestic coal-based 30 per cent, imported coal-based 20 per cent, natural gas-based (including LNG) 25 per cent, liquid fuel-based 5 per cent, and nuclear, renewable energy and imported power-based 20 per cent.
Meanwhile, in January 2012, Bangladesh and India signed a deal to set up a 1320mw coal-fired power plant at Rampal in Bagerhat which is yet to start installation work.
Bangladesh Power Development Board and Indian National Thermal Power Corporation will implement the $1.5 billion project on a 50-50 equity basis.