The government has given its nod for three agreements with Orion Group to add 1,088 Megawatt (MW) electricity to the national grid from three privately run coal-based power plants.
The move is part of the government's plan to boost power production amid increasing demand.
Representing either side, managing director of Orion Group Salman Obaidul Karim and power secretary of Power Development Board (PDB) Mohammad Azizul Islam signed agreement papers to set up three coal-fired power plants, at the Bidyut Bhaban here on Tuesday.
This is the first initiative to generate substantial power using energy. At present the 250-MW coal-fired power plant near Barapukuria coalmine is the country's lone coal-fired power plant.
The new coal-based power plants will be set up at Mawa in Munshiganj (capacity 522 MW), Anwara in Chittagong (283 MW), and at Labanchora in Khulna (283 MW).
The government also signed another deal with Solarium Power Ltd to produce a further 18 MW solar power.
Solarium Power Ltd managing director Nazmul Abedin and PDB secretary Azizul Islam also gave their written consent.
Energy adviser to the prime minister Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, power division secretary Abul Kalam Azad, state minister for power Mohammad Enamul Haque, and PDB chairman A S M Alamgir Kabir were present on the occasion.
The four deals will formally be signed soon, the gathering was informed.
The government has already said the thermal solar system will be set up at Phulpur in Mymensingh district (capacity 18 MW), the country's first renewable energy-based power plant with a capacity over 1 MW, to become the largest renewable energy-based power plant in the subcontinent.
MORE POWER SOON
Of the three deals inked with Orion, the power plant to be set up at Mawa will start generating electricity within 45 months, while those at Labanchora and Anwara would start operation within 36 months.
The government would purchase power per unit from Mawa plant at Tk 4, and for Tk 3.80 per unit from the two others, it was informed.
Solarium, meanwhile, plans to start commercial operation in two years and will sell power to the government at Tk 5.50 per unit. The plant will cost Tk 2.35 billion, Nazmul Abedin, managing director of Solarium, said at the signing ceremony.
Orion Group chairman Obaidul Karim said, "We will invest US$ 1.4 billion to set up the three coal-based plants."
The prime minister's energy adviser Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said the deals were part of the government's efforts to augment power generation to meet the rapidly increasing demand.
Calling the deals a step towards fulfilling the government's commitment to ensure uninterrupted supply of electricity to people, he said power supply across the country has significantly improved in the three years since this government came to office.
SUPPLY NOT ENOUGH NOW
The nation's power demand of 7,000 MW every day exceeds daily production by nearly 2,000 MW at present.
At present, natural gas fuels 82 percent of power generated in the country, furnace oil fuels 5 percent, diesel another 7 percent, while water and coal make up for a total of 6 percent power generated.
Generating power by using gas, many experts say, is a luxury for a nation like Bangladesh.
The Sheikh Hasina government has set a target to raise power generation up to 15,000 MW by 2016.
Deals have already been struck to set up 48 power plants to meet the target, of which 17 are quick rental plants, three are rental, 10 are independent power producers, and 18 are state-run power plants.
As a result, officials said, around 2,500 MW have been added to the national grid over the last three years. Of this, 1,581 MW is generated by 20 plants set up during this government's tenure and 825 MW comes from power plants agreed on during the caretaker government's regime.
The move is part of the government's plan to boost power production amid increasing demand.
Representing either side, managing director of Orion Group Salman Obaidul Karim and power secretary of Power Development Board (PDB) Mohammad Azizul Islam signed agreement papers to set up three coal-fired power plants, at the Bidyut Bhaban here on Tuesday.
This is the first initiative to generate substantial power using energy. At present the 250-MW coal-fired power plant near Barapukuria coalmine is the country's lone coal-fired power plant.
The new coal-based power plants will be set up at Mawa in Munshiganj (capacity 522 MW), Anwara in Chittagong (283 MW), and at Labanchora in Khulna (283 MW).
The government also signed another deal with Solarium Power Ltd to produce a further 18 MW solar power.
Solarium Power Ltd managing director Nazmul Abedin and PDB secretary Azizul Islam also gave their written consent.
Energy adviser to the prime minister Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, power division secretary Abul Kalam Azad, state minister for power Mohammad Enamul Haque, and PDB chairman A S M Alamgir Kabir were present on the occasion.
The four deals will formally be signed soon, the gathering was informed.
The government has already said the thermal solar system will be set up at Phulpur in Mymensingh district (capacity 18 MW), the country's first renewable energy-based power plant with a capacity over 1 MW, to become the largest renewable energy-based power plant in the subcontinent.
MORE POWER SOON
Of the three deals inked with Orion, the power plant to be set up at Mawa will start generating electricity within 45 months, while those at Labanchora and Anwara would start operation within 36 months.
The government would purchase power per unit from Mawa plant at Tk 4, and for Tk 3.80 per unit from the two others, it was informed.
Solarium, meanwhile, plans to start commercial operation in two years and will sell power to the government at Tk 5.50 per unit. The plant will cost Tk 2.35 billion, Nazmul Abedin, managing director of Solarium, said at the signing ceremony.
Orion Group chairman Obaidul Karim said, "We will invest US$ 1.4 billion to set up the three coal-based plants."
The prime minister's energy adviser Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said the deals were part of the government's efforts to augment power generation to meet the rapidly increasing demand.
Calling the deals a step towards fulfilling the government's commitment to ensure uninterrupted supply of electricity to people, he said power supply across the country has significantly improved in the three years since this government came to office.
SUPPLY NOT ENOUGH NOW
The nation's power demand of 7,000 MW every day exceeds daily production by nearly 2,000 MW at present.
At present, natural gas fuels 82 percent of power generated in the country, furnace oil fuels 5 percent, diesel another 7 percent, while water and coal make up for a total of 6 percent power generated.
Generating power by using gas, many experts say, is a luxury for a nation like Bangladesh.
The Sheikh Hasina government has set a target to raise power generation up to 15,000 MW by 2016.
Deals have already been struck to set up 48 power plants to meet the target, of which 17 are quick rental plants, three are rental, 10 are independent power producers, and 18 are state-run power plants.
As a result, officials said, around 2,500 MW have been added to the national grid over the last three years. Of this, 1,581 MW is generated by 20 plants set up during this government's tenure and 825 MW comes from power plants agreed on during the caretaker government's regime.
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