Prime Minister’s Energy Adviser Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said on Tuesday that the government has made big progress in power sector during the last six years. Neighbouring countries China and India will install here some big and low cost coal fired power plants, as they are important development partners of Bangladesh, he said.
He also urged all to have patience to see development in the power sector saying that sometimes a bit of load-shedding is good, or else, people will forget the past situation of electricity.
“Load-shedding should be there to some extent to keep the memory of the past. This is also a blessing of Allah, If there is no load shedding people will forget the improvement achieved in the sector,” he said. He made the remarks while talking to reporters on the sidelines of a deal signing ceremony of a 1320MW power plant with China Huadian Hong Kong Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of the China Huadian Corporation. Power Development Board (PDB) signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) to set up coal-fired power plant at Maheshkhali Island in the southeastern cost of the country under a joint venture with the Chinese company.
The signing ceremony at the Bidyut Bhaban was also addressed by Foreign Minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali, Chinese Ambassador Li Jun, Power Secretary Monwar Islam, PDB Chairman Abduhu Ruhullah and China Huaduan Corporation President Cheng Niongao. Reference to recent frequent load-shedding across the country, Tawfiq-e-Elahi said though the country’s power generation capacity is 10,000 MW, it could hardly generate 7,000 MW. He said that power plants of about 2000 MW capacity are now under maintenance, while some rental plants cannot generate power of their full capacity due to prevailing heat wave. The recent nor’wester at different parts of the country, he said, has affected the local power system, resulting in increased power cut.
He urged the Chinese company to complete the setting up of at least one unit of the proposed Maheshkhali power plant within the next three years before end of the present government’s tenure. Bangladesh also signed a deal with India for setting up a power plant of identical capacity at Rampal, Khulna, he recalled. “Both the power plants will use the state-of the art technology to keep the pollution at a very minimum level and their dust management will be highly efficient,” he said.
Addressing the deal signing ceremony, Foreign Minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali said the contract between two state-owned companies of Bangladesh and China is a new milestone in the field of cooperation. He said this would give a new shape in Bangladesh’s relation with China as the government unveiled a plan to generate 39000 MW by 2030. As part of the plan, about 11000 MW of electricity will be generated by 2018. “Nuclear power plant project and the other power plant projects are the clear manifestation of our commitment,” he said.
Chinese Ambassador Li Jun said this is just a first step towards a thousand mile-long march and a milestone in mutual cooperation. Officials said the cost of the project at Maheshkhali was not estimated but it will be 70:30 debt:equity ratio project. Both the PDB and Huadian will set up a joint venture company and implement the project on build-own-operate basis by 2019. Then PDB will purchase electricity from the project for 25 years term. Officials said this has been the second deal with Chinese companies following the state-owned North West Power Generation Company’s first deal with China National Machinery Import Export Corporation (CMC) last month for setting up a similar capacity coal-fired power plant in Patuakhali.
