Jetty for Matarbari plant yet to get DoS nod

Construction of a coal unloading jetty for Matarbari power plant is facing hurdle, as the department of shipping (DoS) is yet to give its approval even the executing agency sought endorsement 14 months back, officials said.
The Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Ltd (CPGCBL) sought the nod in November 2013 to construct the jetty to load and unload coal for the under-construction 1,200-megawatt coal-fired power plant.
In this January CPGCBL in a letter informed the power division that it is yet to get the approval from DoS. The division on first week of February sought shipping ministry's intervention to get the approval for starting the jetty construction.    
According to the CPGCBL letter, a power plant, coal loading and unloading jetty, harbour, 400-KV transmission line and access road will be constructed under the project. Local and imported coal will be used as main energy source for the power plant.  
It is estimated that the plant will require 3.73 trillion tonnes of coal every year, to be imported from Indonesia, Australia and South Africa. The second phase of the project will construct another 1,200-MW power plant, which will need similar volume of coal annually.
According to the feasibility study of the project, the coal jetty will have access facility of Panamax ship with the capacity of carrying 80,000 tonnes of coal each time.
The government has already signed agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for funding the project. Some 1,500 acres of land have already been acquired for the project, whose development project proposal has also got ECNEC nod.
When contacted, CPGCBL managing director Abul Quasem told the FE on Sunday that on first week of January a foreign consultant has been appointed for design and supervision of the project.
"The consultant will start working soon. But before that we need the DoS approval for the project design by addressing conditions, if they have any."
"We need it as early as possible to start the work," he added.
DoS director general Zakiur Rahman Bhuiyan told the FE that a high-power expert committee has been formed after CPGCBL sought approval.
"The committee had to visit the spot alongside holding several meetings and consulting experts before making a report about it. We recently sent it to the ministry with positive note, but mentioning some conditions for approval."
"Now it is lying with the ministry," he added.
Replying to a query regarding the conditions, he said since the jetty will be used like a port, some sort of control of both DoS and the Chittagong Port Authority on the jetty has been sought.
    [email protected]