EGCB to set up 3 more solar power plants of 300MW at Feni

The Electricity Generation Company of Bangladesh (EGCB) Ltd, a state-owned power generation entity, is set to build three more solar power plants of 300MW( 100MW each) capacity at Sonagazi upazila under Feni district, reports BSS.
To this end, EGCB has recently signed a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with Japanese business conglomerate Marubeni Corporation to develop a 100 MW solar power plant in the area.
Tariff of this 100MW solar power plant is already approved by the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP). As per CCGP approval, the state-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) will buy per unit of electricity at US Cent 10.09 from the plant over the period of 20 years.
Sources informed that the development works of the solar power plant will start soon.
On the other hand, EGCB is also going to develop another 100MW solar power plant with Hero Future Energies Asia Pte. Ltd., a Singapore based company, at the same area.
Talks on tariff and joint venture related activities of the project are underway at this moment.
EGCB is also in discussion with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for arranging concessional finance to build another 100 MW solar power plant at the same area.
Besides the three power plants, EGCB is currently constructing75 MW Solar PV Power Plant at the area, which is at the final stage of construction.
Another 75 MW Solar Power plant of EGCB will start supplying electricity to national grid very soon.
Talking to BSS, Managing Director of EGCB Major General Moin Uddin (Retd) said EGCB has planned to diversify its generation portfolio enhancing its renewable energy generation capacity and to gear up to contribute to achieve various renewable energy targets of the government.
Renewable energy projects will help to meet growing demand of electricity, as well as contribute further to develop the economy of the country.
He said EGCB has acquired a large area of around1000 acres of land for development of solar power plants at Sonagazi Upazila, adjacent (eastern side) to the newly built Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) Musapur Closure (1.08 km length) over Feni River.
The acquired land is located to 40 kms south from Feni Sadar, 10 kms south from Sonagazi Sadar and 10 kms north-west from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar (BSMSN), Mirsarai.
In the first phase, the company is building 75 MW Solar PV Power Plant using approximately 285 acres of land to feed power to Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Ltd. (PGCB)'s 400/230 KV Grid Substation at Mirsarai Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (BEZA) area on the southern side, he added.
He informed that a 230 kV 13.3 km Transmission Line up to Grid Substation and a 33/230KV AISSubstation at Plant area arebeing constructed under the project.
"EGCB has also planned to build more PV Plant in remaining land. EGCB is also in process of acquiring 386 acres of land adjacent to existing land to build further Solar PV plants. In future, it will be a Renewable Energy (RE) power hub," he added.
Managing Director of the Marubeni Asian Power Bangladesh Ltd Shigeru Nagashima said that they are focusing on high quality eco-friendly and sustainable infrastructure development in Bangladesh.