Fresh bidding offers for 150-MW Chandpur plant due next month
Monday, 19 May 2008
S M Jahangir
The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) will receive fresh offers from the aspirant bidders next month for installation of the proposed 150-megawatt (MW) power plant in Chandpur, Power Division officials said Sunday.
"We will get proposals for setting up the Chandpur 150-MW power generation unit by the first week of June under a revised bid," a senior official told the FE.
Although the last date for the submission of bids was earlier fixed on May 22, the authorities have extended the time limit by 15 days more following requests from the aspirant bidders.
"Nine companies are expected to take part in the re-tender process, as the BPDB has sold the said number of tender documents for the project," he said.
After the cancellation of the previous bidding process, the BPDB has invited fresh bid for the proposed Chandpur 150-MW combined-cycle power plant, aiming to cope with the growing demand for electricity in the medium term.
According to the project proposal, a gas turbine will generate 100-MW electricity, and a steam turbine will generate another 50-MW with the waste heat of the gas turbine.
To be installed by the GOB (Government of Bangladesh) fund, the proposed Chandpur project is expected to go for power generation within 32 months from the date of accepting the qualified bid, officials mentioned.
Although the BPDB offered a bid for installing the power unit in 2004, it could not be materialised because of a controversy over the acceptance of the project offer.
According to sources, controversy developed when the then public purchase committee in January 2006 approved the 'flawed' bid of a Chinese company - Harbin, bypassing the Public Procurement Regulation (PPR) 2003.
Controversy over the Harbin's selection surfaced first when other bidders leveled allegations against the company that it had manipulated the bids.
A review panel, formed by the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division, also gave its verdict against Harbin's bid, a source said, adding that eventually the project proposal did not get the approval of the government's highest decision-making body.
The controversies continued when Harbin refused to sign the agreement demanding an increase of around $20 million in the agreement cost, claiming that the equipment costs had increased worldwide in a year. The company said its installation costs would also increase because of the Power Board's delay in signing the agreement.
Due to the cumbersome tender procedures, the implementation process of the proposed Chandpur power plant had been delayed by at least two years, resulting in a significant rise in the project cost, the sources observed.
"Taking the previous experiences into consideration, we have taken necessary steps to ensure the transparency and accountability in the revised bidding for the project to pave the way for boosting the country's power generation," said a senior official.
The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) will receive fresh offers from the aspirant bidders next month for installation of the proposed 150-megawatt (MW) power plant in Chandpur, Power Division officials said Sunday.
"We will get proposals for setting up the Chandpur 150-MW power generation unit by the first week of June under a revised bid," a senior official told the FE.
Although the last date for the submission of bids was earlier fixed on May 22, the authorities have extended the time limit by 15 days more following requests from the aspirant bidders.
"Nine companies are expected to take part in the re-tender process, as the BPDB has sold the said number of tender documents for the project," he said.
After the cancellation of the previous bidding process, the BPDB has invited fresh bid for the proposed Chandpur 150-MW combined-cycle power plant, aiming to cope with the growing demand for electricity in the medium term.
According to the project proposal, a gas turbine will generate 100-MW electricity, and a steam turbine will generate another 50-MW with the waste heat of the gas turbine.
To be installed by the GOB (Government of Bangladesh) fund, the proposed Chandpur project is expected to go for power generation within 32 months from the date of accepting the qualified bid, officials mentioned.
Although the BPDB offered a bid for installing the power unit in 2004, it could not be materialised because of a controversy over the acceptance of the project offer.
According to sources, controversy developed when the then public purchase committee in January 2006 approved the 'flawed' bid of a Chinese company - Harbin, bypassing the Public Procurement Regulation (PPR) 2003.
Controversy over the Harbin's selection surfaced first when other bidders leveled allegations against the company that it had manipulated the bids.
A review panel, formed by the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division, also gave its verdict against Harbin's bid, a source said, adding that eventually the project proposal did not get the approval of the government's highest decision-making body.
The controversies continued when Harbin refused to sign the agreement demanding an increase of around $20 million in the agreement cost, claiming that the equipment costs had increased worldwide in a year. The company said its installation costs would also increase because of the Power Board's delay in signing the agreement.
Due to the cumbersome tender procedures, the implementation process of the proposed Chandpur power plant had been delayed by at least two years, resulting in a significant rise in the project cost, the sources observed.
"Taking the previous experiences into consideration, we have taken necessary steps to ensure the transparency and accountability in the revised bidding for the project to pave the way for boosting the country's power generation," said a senior official.