Sayeed Muhammad: In yet another massive step in the power sector, the government has signed an agreement with German-based tech giant Siemens AG for constructing a 3,600 MW LNG-fired power plant.
The agreement signing ceremony was held at a hotel in Dhaka on Friday night, making it a joint-highest capacity in the country. Mentionable, the deal was supposed to be inked in June, but was delayed for unavoidable reasons, officials concerned said.
The state-run North West Power Generation Company Limited (NWPGCL) Company Secretary Dipak Kumar Dhali and Richarde Reisig, president, Siemens Power to Gas, signed the agreement on behalf of respective sides.
Power Division Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus, Micheal Schulthesiss, head of mission, German embassy in Dhaka and NWPGCL CEO Engr. AM Khurshedul Alam, among others, attended the event.
Though the project cost for the latest joint venture was not was officially revealed, the BPDB sources said the sum may be around $3 billion.
Adjacent to the Payra 1,320 MW thermal power plant in Patuakhali, the LNG-based power plant with 63% efficiency will have its first phase completed by December 2021 and the second and last phase is expected to be constructed by end of 2022.
There will be three units having 1,200 MW capacity each in the power plant where H-class turbine will be used. Memorandum of understanding for the venture had been inked on November 5, 2017.
The land required for the project has already been acquired and developed, but its amount was not made public. Feasibility for the project is also done.
On July 11, the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with US-based General Electric Company (GE), to jointly build a 3,600MW LNG-fired combined cycle power plant.