Max Gr commissions Fenchuganj power plant in only 17 months

The simple cycle unit of the 163 megawatt (MW) combined-cycle power plant at Fenchuganj in Sylhet district has gone into production in only 17 months.
The gas-fired Kushiara Power Company Ltd (KPCL), which was constructed by MAX Group's subsidiary MAX Infrastructure Ltd on an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) basis, has started supplying 109MW electricity to the national grid.
MAX Infrastructure, the only local EPC contractor in the power sector, is scheduled to reach its full commercial production capacity by the end of 2017 with the launch of the combined-cycle unit, adding another 54MW to the grid.
The US$135 million power station has been supplying 109MW electricity to the national grid since July 22 and Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) will purchase electricity from the company for the next 22 years.
Talking to the FE, MAX Group chairman Ghulam Mohammed Alomgir said there was a substantial electricity shortage in the country eight to 10 years back.
But with different initiatives from the current government and incorporation of the private sector in power generation, the country has made a significant progress in producing nearly 16,000MW electricity a day.
Mentioning that the demand for electricity in Bangladesh is growing by 20 per cent a year, he said the government had taken a plan to generate around 40,000MW electricity by 2030.
He said that local investors came forward to setting up power plants in the country before the foreign investors and more local EPC contractors in the power sector are needed to reduce the dependency on overseas firms.
About KPCL, Mr Alomgir said, "The gas-based combined cycle power plant is very efficient in terms of fuel use, and because of that reason the cost of power production is also lower than other means."
The gas burned in the simple cycle unit of the power plant produces substantial heat, which is utilised to create steam from water and divert it to the combined cycle unit to generate extra power from the waste heat without using additional fuel, he told the FE.
He also said except MAX Infrastructure, no private company in the country could build such a power plant in only 17 months and the plant would go into commercial production by the end of current year.
The EPC contractor also installed a 4.5 kilometre-long 230 KV electricity transmission line to connect the power plant with Fenchuganj sub-station.
Jalalabad Gas Transmission & Distribution System Ltd is supplying natural gas to the power plant at a pressure of 150 psi, which is not sufficient for power generation.
To address such a situation, MAX installed a high capacity gas booster compressor imported from the
 USA-based Ingersoll Rand to amplify the pressure for the required 375 psi.
The power plant authority told the FE that around 28 million cubic feet (mmcft) gas will be burned at the facility every day with full commercial production.
The power plant is using underground aquifer treated by its water treatment plant (WTP) to deliver it to the simple cycle power generation unit because the water of Kushiara river is not suitable for use in a power plant.
However, a water cooling tower is currently under construction to recycle the hot water and using it again in the power generation process to reduce wastage of water.
MAX Infrastructure also set up a jetty adjacent to the power plant situated on the banks of Kushiara river to carry the heavy equipment for the plant. Currently, over 950 persons are actively working at the plant including 80 engineers, of which majority are Bangladeshis.
MAX Group imported gas turbine, heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) and steam turbine for the combined cycle power plant in Fenchuganj through an agreement with General Electric (GE) of the USA.
According to a deal signed on March 20, 2013 with the government, the simple cycle unit of the plant supposed start commercial operations within 18 months of the project's effective date, while the combined-cycle unit of the plant was scheduled to be commissioned within 22 months.
Previously, MAX Power Ltd signed a contract in October 2010 with Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) to supply electricity on a rental basis through the construction of a natural gas-fired 78.5 MW power plant at Ghorashal in Palash upazila of Narsingdi.
The 78.5 MW rental power plant in collaboration with GE Rental Asset Holding Inc. supplied electricity to the national grid for three years.
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