BDT 7 billion authorities due threatens Matarbari Coal Energy Plant Manufacturing

The approval for this coal energy plant, Bangladesh’s largest at 1,200 megawatts, got here in 2014. It was constructed on the 1,600-acre deserted salt discipline in Matarbari, Cox’s Bazar’s Maheshkhali upazila. The development value amounted to about Tk. 519.84 billion, with Japan’s growth company JICA offering round Tk. 439.21 billion. The remaining Tk. 79.33 billion was sourced from the Bangladesh Authorities and the Coal Energy Technology Firm Bangladesh Restricted (CPGCBL).

Matarbari Coal Energy Plant Undertaking stands as one of many authorities’s precedence fast-track mega initiatives. Below the Coal Energy Technology Firm Bangladesh Restricted (CPGCBL), the facility plant’s building is underway. CPGCBL entered into an settlement with a consortium of three Japanese firms, together with Toshiba Company, in July of the previous 12 months, for the plant’s building. Per the contract phrases, completion of the facility plant’s building was scheduled for December 2023.

Based on the plan, the primary 600 MW unit is slated for business manufacturing in January 2024, adopted by one other 600 MW unit in July of the identical 12 months.

In the meantime, a urgent concern is the Matarbari coal energy plant’s excellent debt of Tk. 7.00 billion to the federal government. The plant at the moment holds coal reserves for the following three months. Nevertheless, if the excellent quantity isn’t settled promptly, coal imports may very well be halted, affecting the plant’s operations.

Presently, two models on the heart are operational. The primary unit has been formally inaugurated, whereas the second is present process trial runs. Chittagong faces electrical energy provide shortages because of the incomplete substation preparation. Nevertheless, electrical energy costs from Matarbari are decrease in comparison with different coal-based facilities. The mission is overseen by the federal government group Coal Energy Technology Firm Bangladesh Restricted. Latest discussions with a number of officers on the Matarbari coal energy plant have unveiled a number of regarding points.

Engineer Abul Kalam Azad, the managing director of Coal Energy Technology Firm Bangladesh Restricted, highlighted in a media interview that the federal government is owed Tk. 7.00 billion from electrical energy gross sales. He emphasised the plant’s present coal reserves, which may final for 3 to 4 months. Azad talked about that they’ve initiated worldwide tenders for coal imports. Nevertheless, if the excellent quantity isn’t settled promptly, it may hinder the coal import course of.

Engineer Azad additional said that the second unit’s official launch is scheduled for subsequent June. He identified that the Madunaghat sub-centre isn’t absolutely operational but, affecting its means to obtain full energy. Consequently, half of the electrical energy generated is redirected to the Meghnaghat sub-centre.

Based on the involved officers of the facility plant, each models, every with a capability of 600 MW, are at the moment operational. The utmost each day energy provide from the middle has reached 800 MW. Whereas the middle is ready for energy era and distribution, it isn’t but absolutely operational. Consequently, half of the electrical energy generated is being directed to Chittagong’s Madunaghat sub-centre, with the rest allotted to Narayanganj’s Meghnaghat sub-centre.

They defined that the set up of transformers on the Madunaghat sub-centre stays incomplete and is predicted to conclude in Might. Consequently, Matarbari can’t take in all of the electrical energy generated, resulting in an incapability to fulfill Chittagong’s demand. Due to this fact, the excess electrical energy is diverted to the Meghnaghat sub-centre.

The involved officers moreover famous that the electrical energy worth per unit in Matarbari is decrease in comparison with different coal-based facilities throughout the nation. Whereas electrical energy prices vary from 10 to 12 taka per unit in different facilities, Matarbari consumes solely 8 taka per unit. The plant sources its coal from Indonesia, with a combustion or calorific worth ranging between 4,200 to five,000.

Consultants related to the facility plant affirmed that each low-quality and high-quality coal could be utilized within the facility. They highlighted the implementation of a number of purification ranges to mitigate environmental air pollution, making certain that the plant doesn’t pose any hurt to the setting.

Famous that, A mortgage settlement was signed between the Authorities of Bangladesh and the Japan Worldwide Growth Company (JICA) on June 16, 2014. The settlement stipulated that the mission would incorporate state-of-the-art options, together with an imported coal load-unload jetty, an influence era plant, a township, electrification of native areas, and the development of energy transmission traces and connecting roads for the facility plant.

The mission authority for the coal energy plant has undertaken complete infrastructure growth to facilitate coal transportation and storage. They’ve constructed jetties and silos particularly designed for these functions. The silo boasts a powerful capability, able to storing coal to maintain the plant’s operations for as much as 60 days. Moreover, the jetty is designed to accommodate a mom vessel with a coal capability of 80 thousand tons. This vessel can dock effectively on the jetty, and the unloading course of usually takes between one to 2 days.

Nevertheless, there’s a important dependency on well timed monetary help from the federal government. If the due funds are delayed or not acquired as scheduled, it may jeopardize the import of coal. Such disruptions in coal provide would inevitably result in interruptions within the energy era course of, impacting the plant’s means to provide electrical energy effectively and reliably. Due to this fact, making certain well timed monetary disbursements is essential to sustaining the seamless operation of the coal energy plant and assembly the area’s power calls for.