Results of wind mapping at the site of the under-construction Payra thermal power plant have led the government to consider setting up wind turbines as renewable energy sources.
The coal-fired 1320 megawatts (MW) plant in Patukhali is expected to go in operation in April next year.
Bangladesh-China Power Company Ltd (BCPCL), a joint venture of Chinese power company CMC and Bangladesh’s North-West Power Generation Company Ltd (NWPGCL), is implementing the project at a cost of about $2 billion.
According to readings obtained at the power plant site, a wind speed of 13 metre/second has been recorded between 100 and 120 metres off the ground. The speed at 80 metre off the ground was recorded 11 metre/ second while at 50 metres it was 10 metre/second.
BCPCL said that they plan to install wind turbines capable of producing 50MW of power.
“The results are good. We will record readings here for one year and than a final call can be made,” project Director Shah Abdul Mowla told Bangla Tribune.
According to a recent assessment by US-based National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Bangladesh has a prospect of producing 10,000-20,000 (MW) of electricity from wind energy in the country’s southern region.
The latest finding rules out the previous assessment, which said that wind energy was not a viable option for Bangladesh.
NREL conducted the 3.5-year assessment in nine locations including Rajshahi, Inani Beach, Sitakundu, Chandpur, Rangpur, Sylhet, Mymensingh, Parkey Beach (Chittagong) and Mongla.
It said that the average wind speed was between 5 and 6 metre/second.
North-West Power Generation Company CEO Khorshed Alam told Banlga Tribune that they have plans for 50 MW wind power. “But at the beginning, we will install four turbines capable of generating 2.5 MW each.”
Bangladesh, however, has three wind-based power plants as pilot projects — two at Cox’s Bazar’s Kutubdia Island and the other in Feni capable of producing 1MW power each.