Oil import to rise 33pc for new power plants
Saturday, 10 July 2010
M Azizur Rahman
The government is eyeing new Asian and Middle Eastern petroleum markets for importing oil to meet the country's mounting demands especially to run new oil-based power plants across the country, top government officials said.
State-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) estimated that the country's annual oil imports would rise by over 33 per cent to 4.85 million tonnes from the current 3.65 million tonnes from next years as the country has moved to tackle a power crisis by building dozens of new diesel and fuel oil-fired power plants.
The demand would rise further with initiation of electricity generation from increased number of oil-fired power plants.
BPC has already initiated fresh talks with some Asian and Middle Eastern petroleum exporting countries to import fuel.
"We have already held talks with some new oil exporting countries to meet the country's growing oil demand in the coming years," BPC Chairman Anwarul Karim told the FE Friday.
He said the existing suppliers especially the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and Malaysian Petco have also been requested to supply more oil.
BPC has also discussed with some state-owned companies like China National Petroleum Corporation, Petro Vietnam, Oman Oil over importing of oil.
BPC never imported oil from these companies before.
Officials said negotiation with Chinese CNPC has almost been completed, while new price quotes have been sought from Petro Vietnam and Oman Oil.
BPC is entirely dependent on imported oil to meet the country's petroleum needs.
Kuwaits' KPC, Malaysian Petco, Philippines' PNOC, Maldives MNOC are the existing oil suppliers of the BPC.
The power ministry has chalked out a mega plan to generate around 9,426 megawatts (mw) of electricity by 2015.
Some 4,270 mw of electricity or around half of the total generation will be produced by high-cost gas oil and HSFO-run run power plants.
Of the total plants, 1,450mw capacity diesel and furnace run power plants will be commissioned in 2010, 620mw furnace oil-fired plants in 2011, 1800mw capacity furnace oil run plants in 2012 and 400mw furnace oil -fired capacity plants in 2013.
The government has already approved installation of over a dozen liquid-fuel run 'rental' power plants to augment electricity generation immediately.
State-run Power Development Board (PDB) has signed deals for installation of four 'quick rental' power plants and initiated agreements with around a dozen firms to bring in electricity from the liquid-fuel run power plants.
The government is eyeing new Asian and Middle Eastern petroleum markets for importing oil to meet the country's mounting demands especially to run new oil-based power plants across the country, top government officials said.
State-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) estimated that the country's annual oil imports would rise by over 33 per cent to 4.85 million tonnes from the current 3.65 million tonnes from next years as the country has moved to tackle a power crisis by building dozens of new diesel and fuel oil-fired power plants.
The demand would rise further with initiation of electricity generation from increased number of oil-fired power plants.
BPC has already initiated fresh talks with some Asian and Middle Eastern petroleum exporting countries to import fuel.
"We have already held talks with some new oil exporting countries to meet the country's growing oil demand in the coming years," BPC Chairman Anwarul Karim told the FE Friday.
He said the existing suppliers especially the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and Malaysian Petco have also been requested to supply more oil.
BPC has also discussed with some state-owned companies like China National Petroleum Corporation, Petro Vietnam, Oman Oil over importing of oil.
BPC never imported oil from these companies before.
Officials said negotiation with Chinese CNPC has almost been completed, while new price quotes have been sought from Petro Vietnam and Oman Oil.
BPC is entirely dependent on imported oil to meet the country's petroleum needs.
Kuwaits' KPC, Malaysian Petco, Philippines' PNOC, Maldives MNOC are the existing oil suppliers of the BPC.
The power ministry has chalked out a mega plan to generate around 9,426 megawatts (mw) of electricity by 2015.
Some 4,270 mw of electricity or around half of the total generation will be produced by high-cost gas oil and HSFO-run run power plants.
Of the total plants, 1,450mw capacity diesel and furnace run power plants will be commissioned in 2010, 620mw furnace oil-fired plants in 2011, 1800mw capacity furnace oil run plants in 2012 and 400mw furnace oil -fired capacity plants in 2013.
The government has already approved installation of over a dozen liquid-fuel run 'rental' power plants to augment electricity generation immediately.
State-run Power Development Board (PDB) has signed deals for installation of four 'quick rental' power plants and initiated agreements with around a dozen firms to bring in electricity from the liquid-fuel run power plants.