Toxic bomb in Chittagong
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
M. B. Ali
WHILE all nations worldwide are trying to find means to reduce global warming, the government of Bangladesh (GOB) is undertaking projects that would not only seriously damage its environment but also poison hundreds and thousands of its citizens in the port city of Chittagong.
GOB has recently floated an international tender for supply, installation, commissioning and subsequent operation and maintenance of a 50MW capacity power station on rental basis for three-year term. The specified fuel for this project is furnace oil/high speed diesel. The tender submission date is October 16, 2008.
The fuel will be supplied by BPDB/Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation. The technical specification of furnace oil and high speed diesel confirms that the furnace oil sulphur contents is 3.5%; high speed diesel sulphur content is 0.2%; and the sulphur content of furnace oil is 17.5 times higher than that of high speed diesel.
The tender spells out that the plant installation commissioning and subsequent operation & maintenance must comply with the World Bank and Directorate of Environment guidelines. Moreover, the sponsor of the power station must secure an environmental clearance form Department of Environment (DOE) before commissioning.
It should be seriously noted that for production of one unit (one kwh) of electricity about 0.3 litre of diesel or furnace oil is required. For operations of a 50 MW power station hourly requirement is 15 (fifteen) tons of fuel. Fifteen tons of fuel (furnace oil) contains more than 500 kg of sulphur. When the fuel (15 tons of furnace) oil will burn, there will of an emission of more than 1,500 kg of sulphuric acid per hour in the sky around the power station.
As such the yearly emission of Sulphuric acid in the sky around the power station i.e. in Chittagong city will be 12,500 tons.
This acid will cause acid rain in and around Chittagong city. All are well aware of the deadly affect of acid rain.
It is extremely hazardous to human, animals and the vegetation. This will have deadly effects on all.
The questions involved here are:
How could the Government propose/ allow establishing a power station in the city area of Chittagong, which will be operated on furnace oil? During 2007, GOB floated tenders for power plants in Khulna and Bheramara, based on liquid fuel and they specify only high speed diesel for their operation.
How could the DOE could issue an Environmental Clearance Certificate to operate such power station on furnace oil in a city area?
As residents of Chittagong and citizens of Bangladesh, all concerned will certainly not welcome setting up of a project that would poison us and our children and destroy our environment.
The government should immediately cancel the use of furnace oil as fuel for the proposed power project in Chittagong and save the citizens from being poisoned.
WHILE all nations worldwide are trying to find means to reduce global warming, the government of Bangladesh (GOB) is undertaking projects that would not only seriously damage its environment but also poison hundreds and thousands of its citizens in the port city of Chittagong.
GOB has recently floated an international tender for supply, installation, commissioning and subsequent operation and maintenance of a 50MW capacity power station on rental basis for three-year term. The specified fuel for this project is furnace oil/high speed diesel. The tender submission date is October 16, 2008.
The fuel will be supplied by BPDB/Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation. The technical specification of furnace oil and high speed diesel confirms that the furnace oil sulphur contents is 3.5%; high speed diesel sulphur content is 0.2%; and the sulphur content of furnace oil is 17.5 times higher than that of high speed diesel.
The tender spells out that the plant installation commissioning and subsequent operation & maintenance must comply with the World Bank and Directorate of Environment guidelines. Moreover, the sponsor of the power station must secure an environmental clearance form Department of Environment (DOE) before commissioning.
It should be seriously noted that for production of one unit (one kwh) of electricity about 0.3 litre of diesel or furnace oil is required. For operations of a 50 MW power station hourly requirement is 15 (fifteen) tons of fuel. Fifteen tons of fuel (furnace oil) contains more than 500 kg of sulphur. When the fuel (15 tons of furnace) oil will burn, there will of an emission of more than 1,500 kg of sulphuric acid per hour in the sky around the power station.
As such the yearly emission of Sulphuric acid in the sky around the power station i.e. in Chittagong city will be 12,500 tons.
This acid will cause acid rain in and around Chittagong city. All are well aware of the deadly affect of acid rain.
It is extremely hazardous to human, animals and the vegetation. This will have deadly effects on all.
The questions involved here are:
How could the Government propose/ allow establishing a power station in the city area of Chittagong, which will be operated on furnace oil? During 2007, GOB floated tenders for power plants in Khulna and Bheramara, based on liquid fuel and they specify only high speed diesel for their operation.
How could the DOE could issue an Environmental Clearance Certificate to operate such power station on furnace oil in a city area?
As residents of Chittagong and citizens of Bangladesh, all concerned will certainly not welcome setting up of a project that would poison us and our children and destroy our environment.
The government should immediately cancel the use of furnace oil as fuel for the proposed power project in Chittagong and save the citizens from being poisoned.