Cox\\\'s Bazar wind-turbine power plant to be executed now under JV with Danish tech

Shamsul Huda | Published: November 06, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00

The proposed 60-megawatt (mw) independent wind-turbine power plant in Cox's Bazar would now be implemented under a joint venture (JV) with technology from a Danish company for its successful operation, sources said.
The decision was made in Singapore a few days back and the Danish wind-turbine company, Vestas, would provide their technology to the UDGEL, a consortium among the US, Denmark and Bangladesh.
Under an agreement signed in May this year between the UDGEL and the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), the government will purchase power from the private investing company at a fixed rate.
President of Vestas Asia Pacific & China Chris Beaufait said, "As an experienced wind-turbine manufacturer we seek to play an important role in helping our customers in Bangladesh embark on an exciting wind journey."
He said, "With our global expertise on wind and site identification, electrical pre-design, transportation, installation, supply, erection, service, and financing assistance, I believe Vestas is able to help our customers shape a competitive edge in an untapped market".
Director of the renewable energy division of the BPDB Md Shafique Uddin said there has been no tangible progress since signing of the power purchase agreement six months back.
According to a source at the UDGEL, their physical progress is yet to be made as they are now working on wind mapping and other data collection in the proposed site.
The project cost has been estimated at $120 million of which $100 million is foreign investment and the rest $20 million will be invested by the local company in IPP (independent power producer) mode on a build-own-operate (BOO) basis for a term of 18 years.
The local-foreign consortium firms are Taylor Engineering and Plt Consulting Inc, USA, Ph-Consulting Group Inc, Denmark and the Bangladeshi Multiple Green Energy Limited.
The government has decided to provide the IPP wind-turbine project to private investors under its national energy policy which has set the target that five per cent of the total power generation will come from renewable energy by 2015 and 10 per cent by 2020.
The expansion of the potential of wind energy will be crucial for Bangladesh to achieve its national vision of providing electricity to all of its population by 2021.
The Ambassador of Denmark in Singapore Berit Basse and the High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Singapore Mahbub Uz Zaman were both present at the deal signing ceremony at the Vestas office in Singapore.
The Ambassador of Denmark in Bangladesh, Ms Hanne Fugl EskjÃ¦r, said this positive step will lead to further cooperation in renewable energy between the two countries.
Bangladesh has a vast windy coastal area, around 710 km long, especially in the Cox's Bazar, Patuakhali (southern coastal area), Mongla and the Sundarbans areas. The windy weather in these areas is congruous, and compatible for running wind turbines to produce wind energy.
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