Anisul Islam Noor :
Ignoring widespread protests among locals and green activists, Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Limited and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) have signed engineering, procurement and construction contract on Rampal thermal power project on Tuesday.
“No body will be able to stop the development of the country by creating militancy or any other terrorism activities,” Prime Minister’s Adviser for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Dr Tawfiw-e-Elahi Chowdhury said while addressing the signing ceremony as chief guest.
“The people of our country peace loving, they are religious minded and hate terrorism and militancy,” he added.
Tawfiq Ilahi urged the youths to work for the betterment of the country and not to be involved with any heinous activities instigated by the evil force.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid spoke at the function as the special guest.
Principal Secretary Abul Kalam Azad, Power Secretary of Bangladesh Monowar Islam, Indian Power Secretary Padeep Kumar Pujari, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Harsh Vardhan Shrngla, Chairman and Managing Director of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) India Gurdeep Singh, Chairman of Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) Md. Shamsul Hasan Mia, representative of BHEL Prem Pal Yadav and Managing Director of BIFPCL Ujjal Kanti Bhattacharya, among other, spoke on the occasion..
Ujjal Kanti Bhattacharya and Prem Pal Yadav signed the deal on behalf of their respective sides.
As per the contract the BHEL will supply the necessary equipment for the project. The government hopes to implement the project on time although the contract already delayed.
The contract value of the project is 1.49 billion USD which will be financed by Indian Exim Bank. Bangladesh has to pay the loan with 1.5 per cent interest. The plant is expected to come to generation during the fiscal year 2019-20.
BIFPCL is a company registered in Bangladesh and promoted by BPDB and NTPC with equal (50:50) equity contribution for development of power project. It is one of the fast tract projects identified by the government of Bangladesh, sources said.
The government expects to begin generating electricity at Rampal power plant by December 2018. The cost of the total project implementation is around US$2 billion. BIFPCL Project is a 2×660 Megawatt coal-based power project with super critical technology being developed at Rampal in Bagerhat district under Khulna Division.
Ujjal Kanti Bhattacharya told The New Nation that, “We are trying to implement the project in time. Already we have started to develop the project site.”
“Coal will be cost-effective for Rampal project. There are no alternative of coal as fuel for the project. Coal will be used in an environment-friendly way,” he said.
However, BHEL will have to make the first unit operational within 41 months and the second unit within 46 months, right after the financial agreement is being signed.
70 per cent funding of the Rampal’s project cost will be collected as a loan and the rest 30 percent will be borne by PDB and NTPC collectively.
