Bangladesh starts construction of 1,200MW power plant in coastal Cox’s Bazar

[bluesky]

Bangladesh starts construction of 1,200MW power plant in coastal Cox’s Bazar
Senior Correspondent, bdnews24.com

Published: 2018-01-28 13:52:49.0 BdST Updated: 2018-01-28 19:39:23.0 BdST

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  Bangladesh has begun the construction of one of its largest power plants in the coastal district of Cox’s Bazar.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the work on Sunday via video-conferencing from her official residence in Dhaka.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency, or JICA, is financing the project to construct the 1,200MW coal-fired plant at Matarbari in the island Upazila of Moheshkhali.

“The initiatives in Matarbari will spur socio-economic development not only in the area, but in the whole country as well,” Hasina said at the inauguration ceremony attended by the JICA vice-president and the special envoy to Japanese PM.

A Japanese delegation led by it ambassador in Dhaka was connected to the Ganabhaban ceremony from Matarbari through video-conferencing.

The estimated cost of building the plant on 1,414 acres is around Tk 360 billion.

Japan is providing around Tk 290 billion in loan support for the project while the government will fund over Tk 70 billion.

Bangladesh plans to turn Matarbari into a major economic hub, where it is also building a port, which will be gradually converted into a deep-sea port.

The project area is some 40 nautical miles from the port in Chittagong.

The government cleared the Matarbari project in August 2015, but the tender process suffered a delay after the 2016 Dhaka cafe terror attack, when 17 foreigners, including Japanese engineers were killed.

Speaking at Sunday’s ceremony, Hasina expressed grief over the deaths and thanked Japan for standing by Bangladesh, “even after what happened”.

In July last year, state-owned Coal Power Generation Company or CPGCBL finally signed the deal with Japanese consortium of Sumitomo Corporation, Toshiba Corporation and IHI Corporation to construct the coal-fired plant.

The Matarbari power plant project includes the construction of a port to bring in coal, which will be capable to unload vessels with a capacity up to 80,000 tonnes.


It will be turned into a full-fledged port while an LNG terminal will be built there in line with the plan for an economic hub.

Of the 10 projects prioritised by the government, the Matarbari power plant is the second biggest after the Rooppur nuclear power plant project in terms of cost.

Bangladesh plans to almost double its power generation capacity to 24,000 megawatts by 2021.

 

[Valar.]

The estimated cost of building the plant on 1,414 acres is around Tk 360 billion.

4.33 billion dollars for 1200 mw coal fired power plant?

 

[bluesky]

4.33 billion dollars for 1200 mw coal fired power plant?

Ultra-super critical technology with a 46% efficiency will be used in the coal-fired power plant. This technology is expensive, but will be more than compensated during the life cycle of this plant. Note also that the total cost is not only for the power plant. It also includes the land acquisition, design and construction of a deep sea port nearby. Please read the excerpt from the opening news:

"The Matarbari power plant project includes the construction of a port to bring in coal, which will be capable to unload vessels with a capacity up to 80,000 tonnes".

They're made of money. They spent tens of billions on nuclear reactors too.

Note the location of BD. It has the potential to create gold mine in the future. India cannot go even to its NE and to ASEAN without going through BD. India is otherwise a semi-landlocked country. BD is a pivotal country through which the future transport of goods among China, ASEAN and India will take place. Its location has made it a pivot that attracts investment from China, India, Japan and Russia.

 

[Shorisrip]

The initiative is good, I just hope that the coal doesn't adversely affect the surrounding terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

 

[Valar.]

Ultra-super critical technology with a 46% efficiency will be used in the coal-fired power plant. This technology is expensive, but will be more than compensated during the life cycle of this plant. Note also that the total cost is not only for the power plant. It also includes the land acquisition, design and construction of a deep sea port nearby. Please read the excerpt from the opening news:

"The Matarbari power plant project includes the construction of a port to bring in coal, which will be capable to unload vessels with a capacity up to 80,000 tonnes".

Fair enough.

I wasn't exactly sure about figure of 4.3 billion dollars as it sounded too high compared to Sahiwal plant in PK which cost us 1.8 billion dollars which I think is too high too. Interestingly, we have provided land for free.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahiwal_Coal_Power_Project

1. Do you know what's the difference between ultra super critical vs super critical? Is it just efficiency of 46% vs 42%? Or something else like environmentally?
2. How much will be the unit cost? In our case, it says 8.3 USD cents per unit which I think is a bit expensive.
3. Is it BOT? And for how long?

They're made of money. They spent tens of billions on nuclear reactors too.

Them BDshians so filthy rich. Me peanut butter and jelly

 

[idune]

Ultra-super critical technology with a 46% efficiency will be used in the coal-fired power plant. This technology is expensive, but will be more than compensated during the life cycle of this plant. Note also that the total cost is not only for the power plant. It also includes the land acquisition, design and construction of a deep sea port nearby. Please read the excerpt from the opening news:

"The Matarbari power plant project includes the construction of a port to bring in coal, which will be capable to unload vessels with a capacity up to 80,000 tonnes".

Bunch of awami lie and money looting scheme. By no means "Ultra-super critical technology" plant cost that much. For an example in China, they built 4X1000 MW plants with "Ultra-super critical " technology and 45% efficiency and cost roughly a billion dollars. In Bangladesh roughly 1/4 of capacity cost 4 times as much?????


1) land acquisition - cost is next to nothing because area is mostly uninhabited and government owned land (Know the area very well. ).
2) 80,000 tonnes bulk capacity port - with 100000 tonnes capacity deep sea port cost only $1.02 billion

If these projects were built elsewhere in the world, cost would been less than $2 billion. WHY it is taking more than twice as much; $4.33 billion??? People need to ask awami league, where is looted money???

--------------------------------------------
Start of operation
2006 to 2007
Output
4 x 1,000MW
Plant type
Coal-fired with ultra-supercritical pressure boilers
Location
Zhejiang Province, China
Expand

All four 1,000MW coal-fired ultra-supercritical pressure boilers at Yuhuan in China have come online. Located on the coast of East China’s Zhejiang Province, the last unit began commercial operation in November 2007. The plant cost ¥9.6bn (€900m), and the units run at about 45% efficiency.

https://www.power-technology.com/projects/yuhuancoal/


Phase II (ongoing)
The second phase of construction is currently underway as part of planned improvements under CPEC and other ancillary projects. The total project is expected to cost $1.02 billion.[20]

• 4 Container Berths along 3.2 kilometres of shoreline
• 1 Bulk Cargo Terminal (capacity: 100,000 DWT ships)
• 1 Grain Terminal
• 1 Ro-Ro Terminal
• 2 Oil Terminals (capacity: 200,000 DWT ships each)
• Approach Channel: To be dredged to 14.5 m dept

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwadar_Port

 

[Flynn Swagmire]

They're made of money. They spent tens of billions on nuclear reactors too.

Nothing is a hitch, when we are filthy rich...

 

[Tanveer666]

Bunch of awami lie and money looting scheme. By no means "Ultra-super critical technology" plant cost that much. For an example in China, they built 4X1000 MW plants with "Ultra-super critical " technology and 45% efficiency and cost roughly a billion dollars. In Bangladesh roughly 1/4 of capacity cost 4 times as much?????


1) land acquisition - cost is next to nothing because area is mostly uninhabited and government owned land (Know the area very well. ).
2) 80,000 tonnes bulk capacity port - with 100000 tonnes capacity deep sea port cost only $1.02 billion

If these projects were built elsewhere in the world, cost would been less than $2 billion. WHY it is taking more than twice as much; $4.33 billion??? People need to ask awami league, where is looted money???

--------------------------------------------
Start of operation
2006 to 2007
Output
4 x 1,000MW
Plant type
Coal-fired with ultra-supercritical pressure boilers
Location
Zhejiang Province, China
Expand

All four 1,000MW coal-fired ultra-supercritical pressure boilers at Yuhuan in China have come online. Located on the coast of East China’s Zhejiang Province, the last unit began commercial operation in November 2007. The plant cost ¥9.6bn (€900m), and the units run at about 45% efficiency.

https://www.power-technology.com/projects/yuhuancoal/


Phase II (ongoing)
The second phase of construction is currently underway as part of planned improvements under CPEC and other ancillary projects. The total project is expected to cost $1.02 billion.[20]

• 4 Container Berths along 3.2 kilometres of shoreline
• 1 Bulk Cargo Terminal (capacity: 100,000 DWT ships)
• 1 Grain Terminal
• 1 Ro-Ro Terminal
• 2 Oil Terminals (capacity: 200,000 DWT ships each)
• Approach Channel: To be dredged to 14.5 m dept

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwadar_Port

জাপানি পন্য,কিনে হন ধন্য.

 

[bluesky]

@idune, the doctor of lies and distortion, is again trying to derail this thread. He does not even likes any development works in BD. He is really a stupid to think that the GoJ will pay graft to BD officials to get the two jobs done.
1) Matarbari Power Plant, and
2) A Deep Seaport in limited scale

@idune, if you or your govt. of India do not even want us to produce electricity, it only means that you and your govt. want us to continuously buy electricity from India until eternity. We will not fall into this Indian trap.

 

[idune]

Injudicious spending harbours corruption


Published: 00:05, Jan 16,2018

THE power sector in Bangladesh is mired in controversy. Different projects initiated by the incumbent while promises to bring power to all corners of the country are not lauded by many mainly because of the mishandlings in the financial management of these projects. It is because of flawed and faulty planning, even before implementation the cost of building power plants increased significantly.

The cost of 1,200 MW coal-fired Matarbari power plant, as reported in New Age on Monday, is set to increase up to Tk 50,000 crore, almost double the initial estimated cost. The project primarily comprises of construction of a deep sea port with coal handling facilities for coal import, coal storage, power plant construction. In 2014, the National Economic Council approved the project with a revised budget of Tk 35,984 crore. Now, as the construction begins the state minister for power, energy and mineral resources vaguely tries to justify the abnormal escalation of cost stating undue delay, soil treatment of the project area, and expansion of the scope of the project as the contributing factors. Considering that there are already reported allegations of corruption and intransparency in its implementation, such dubiously explained rise in the cost surely raises serious concern.

Since the inception of Matarbari coal-fired power plant, there are allegations of corruption in land acquisition and international bidding process. The Japan-funded project shortlisted two Japanese companies for bidding for engineering, procurement and construction contract; however, question remains whether the process was competitive enough as contract was expected to be awarded through international bidding.

Eventually, the contract was awarded to a Japanese consortium that has a partner with negative asset that was a violation of bid evaluation criteria and the JICA procurement guideline. It goes without saying that the process was undoubtedly intransparent.

Besides, in November, 2014, a case was filed against several district administrators of Cox’s Bazar on charge of embezzling Tk 20 crore of Matarbari coal-fired power plant project. It is because of such pervasive corruption that energy experts, anti corruption campaigners and consumer rights advocates fear that such high cost power project would ultimately raise the price of electricity defying originally intended purpose of the project that is to reduce the price. They also fear that such projects appear more as an opportunity for material gain for a vested quarter, than real advancement of the power sector in Bangladesh.

Therefore, such unexplainable spending of public money raises serious concern about the real intent of the concerned authorities. It appears to be a ploy for corruption.

In addition to the concern about the injudicious spending of public money in the construction of Matarbari plant, the incumbent must also address the question of environmental impact of coal fired plant, particularly at a time when globally even the developed nations are withdrawing and unwinding their coal-fired power generation projects. The incumbent must not rush to implementation of this project without resolving the allegations of corruption and irregularities and thoroughly reviewing the environmental impact of coal-fired plants.

http://www.newagebd.net/article/32654/injudicious-spending-harbours-corruption

 

[Dot]

Corruption has been sort of institutionalized. Therefore one can't call this "corruption" outright as it's become a valid part of the process. A lot of examples are lying around. Lack of check&balance/accountability is the only reason.

 

[Dot]

Corruption been there since the creation of Bangladesh. During Ersad's era his ex-wife used to be known as Mrs. 10%/15% (can't recall exactly!). After 90s transition into democracy, generally politicials got more greedy and corruption started to be institutionalized. As for last 10 years rule of AL, the scale simply got bigger; can't deny that as I have seen first hand. Syndication is the way, works are distributed at district/local level. It's just pure Unfortunate, that how thing are.

 

[Valar.]

Riiight!
first awami league cheerleader try to justify more than $2 billion looting under disguise of "ultra super critical" plants, deep sea port etc. That bit of lie was hukka hua[ed] by

[Thanks x 10
@EastBengalPro @Shorisrip @Ashes @Ashik Mahmud @UKBengali @Valar Morghulis/Dohaeris @mb444 @Centaur @Homo Sapiens @BitHeroBD]

After revelation of how looting was done by awami league regime and Japnese just gave rubber stamp on loan, cheer leading pack leader @bluesky went into hiding with his foxy tail between legs.

Enter @Dot with pom pom plea - ""corruption" outright as it's become a valid part of the process."

Next....

Idune bhai, I asked a question to the opener of thread and he replied politely and tried to explain the project. Now whether I agree or disagree, understand or don't understand, it doesn't matter. Atleast he tried politely and I gave him a 'Thank' for that effort. I give it to everyone including you. Kindly don't judge me on that. Thanks.

 

[idune]

Idune bhai, I asked a question to the opener of thread and he replied politely and tried to explain the project. Now whether I agree or disagree, understand or don't understand, it doesn't matter. Atleast he tried politely and I gave him a 'Thank' for that effort. I give it to everyone including you. Kindly don't judge me on that. Thanks.

My comments were not meant for you, it was for Bangladeshi members. Hope that clarifies.

 

[bluesky]

My comments were not meant for you, it was for Bangladeshi members. Hope that clarifies.

We understand that being an Indian it is difficult for you to see the development of BD. You abuse your stay in PDF by your continuous barrage of BD criticism, and falsely accuse all the govt people of taking bribe even from the Japan government, but without a proof so far.