The Rural Power Company Limited (RPCL) is building a gas-fired power plant despite the obvious shortage of gas in the country. The company has already issued a letter to the power division of China National Technical Import and Export Corporation (CNTIC) reading the matter.
RPCL said that it has procured 16 acres of land to build the powerplant in Mymensingh’s Ishwardia island.
Petrobangla officials said that the power department has continued building such plants despite their requests to not do so.
A recent report by the Power Development Board (PDB) showed that around 600-800 megawatts of gas-fueled power plants are sitting idle due to the shortage of fuel.
Responding to queries about why more plants were built despite the shortage, a PDB official wishing to remain anonymous said that the those power plants can be made operational once the supply of Liquefied Natural Gases (LNG) increases.
“Although the country’s demand for gas is still trying to be met with LNG, there will still be a gas deficit even if 500 million cubic feet of gas is supplied everyday,” he said.
The official added that at the moment the one terminal which was supposed to supply 500 million cubic feet of gas everyday supplies only 300 million cubic feet. As a result the country is short of a whopping 1,000 million cubic feet of gas everyday.
Meanwhile CNTIC, although not the primary energy supplier in the country, submitted a tender to build the 360 megawatt power plant in Mymensingh.
In a letter issued to the power secretary on Dec 10, the company requested that their bid be considered and processed with transparency saying that they have submitted all the necessary documents.
The letter, it was cited that in January of this year they built a 365 megawatt combined cycled power plant in Ghorashal. Saying that the technical and economic situation in Mymensingh was the same as Ghorashal, the company drew on its varied experience to build one plant after another.
It also said that in March they have signed a contract of establishing a 400 megawatt cycle power plant in Ashuganj.
The company believes it has submitted the best technical, commercial and economic bid, the letter read.
Meanwhile Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Limited (RPGCL) deemed the issuance of such a letter as unethical. An official wishing remain anonymous said, “Doing something like this makes the tender processing questionable although their proposal is not being taken into account.”
RPGCL is currently producing electricity through a 210 megawatt power plant in Mymensingh’s Shambhuganj.