Out of the seven joint projects in the power sectors, the work for only two are going on with gusto while the rest of the five are moving at snail’s pace.
The work for the 1320 megawatt Payra Power Plant and 1320 megawatt Rampal Power Plant is moving forward quite speedily.
Although the Payra plant was supposed to start production this April, it couldn’t happen due to the problems regarding construction of power transmission line.
According to PGCB the construction of the line will begin in August and the plant might operate from Octoober.
The first unit of the Rampal plant is also expected to be operational by March 2021 and the second unit by September 2021.
The first unit’s coal banker, TG deck substructure and the ESP and main power house structural election is underway. In total 38 percent of the work is complete.
However, the five other projects are moving at a significantly slower pace.
The construction of the 700 megawatt Matarbari Power is so far limited to procurement of land.
The plant is being jointly set up by Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Limited (CPGCBL) and Singaporean Sempcorp Utilities Private Limited.
The Power Division has ordered the district administration to hurry up the process.
Another 1200 megawatt plant will be set up at Matarbari jointly by CPGCBL and Japanese company Sumitomo Corporation.
However, only the applications for financial advisor appointment has been done but not finalized.
The Power Development Board (PDB) and Tenego Malaysia are supposed to set up a 1320 megawatt plant at Maheshkhali.
Although a joint working group has been formed and a joint steering committee meeting took place last November, the government to government (G2G) agreement hasn’t been signed yet.
PDB signed an agreement in 2016 with Korean company Kepco to build a 1320 megawatt power plant.
Although the draft of the agreement has been sent to Kepco and discussions took place in 2018, the agreement is yet to be signed.
Norinko China and Rural Power Company Limited (RPCL) are supposed to set up a 1320 megawatt power plant at Patuakhali.
However, the agreement hasn’t been fully signed as the power purchase agreement has been signed but not the land lease agreement. Procurement process of this land is still underway.
Power Cell Division Director General Mohammad Hossain said that they are regularly monitoring the work.
“We ask them to submit monthly progress reports. Those who are on schedule are regularly nudged,” he said.
He added that these will take time as sometimes it takes more time to make big power plants operational due to financial and land limitations.