The government took decision in principle to allow another 10-12 ‘costly’ liquid fuel-based power projects having capacity for generating 1350MW of electricity under the unsolicited deals. State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid allowed the power projects in private sector last week. Bangladesh Power Development Board has already projected to pay Tk 9,931 crore as financial support annu
ally for purchasing 54,000 million units of electricity, considering per unit power tariff at Tk 6.58 from the proposed projects, a power division proposal said. The proposal would be forwarded to the Prime Minister’s Office within a day or two for the final approval. The load-shedding would come down to a minimum level in 2016 if the government allows the proposed projects, it said. The power division proposal said the proposed projects would contribute to rising power generation till 2021 before commencement of the coal-fired projects. According to the power-system master plan of the Bangladesh-2010, the government would require 24,000MW by 2021 while another 40,000MW would need by 2030. The government would require achievement of electricity generation by 16,000MW in 2016, but it now has capacity to generate 10,341MW of power. The country might face a wider shortfall of electricity if the proposal is not considered, according to the power division. The government has so far installed 35 oil-fired power projects having capacity for generating 2549MW of electricity. It also has a target to generate 30 percent of power against the demand from the coal-fired power projects, which would require much time. So the government would go on the oil-fired power projects, the proposal said. According to the proposals, the government has signed 40 oil-fired power projects with different companies in different times. But some projects are yet to get any progress after the signing of the deals. But it is yet to sign deals for 12 liquid fuel-fired power projects having capacity for generating 1342MW of electricity. The power division requested the power sponsors to sign deals immediately. But they are yet to respond to the government request, said officials at the power division. The 12 projects are 108MW Basila power project, 108MW Gabtali power project, 99.38MW Keraniganj power project, 55MW Manikganj power project, 52.5MW Alirtak, Narayanganj power project, 55MW Narayanganj power project, 22MW Tangail power project, 149MW Kaliakoir power project, 54.36MW Satkhira power project, 53.97MW Kamalaghat power project, 367MW and 217.9MW Sirajganj power project. So it has to cancel deals for 1342MW fuel-fired power projects by replacing those by projects for 1350MW of electricity, which would come into operation by 2016. To purchase 51,502 million units of electricity from 12 projects would require Tk 7865 crore per year, considering per unit of electricity at Tk 6.27. But the per-unit electricity generation cost would be Tk 0.31 more compared to previously initiated 12 liquid fuel-based power projects in 2009. It would also help contribute to the GDP growth during 2015-16 fiscal. The government has allocated Tk 7,000 crore as subsidy in power sector for this fiscal year. Economists said the government might increase electricity cost to another level to raise production costs from liquid fuel-based power projects. Prof M Tamim of BUET said the government has no other option but to raise electricity generation from liquid fuel-based power projects as the low cost electricity production from coal would require time. “We are ready to pay fair prices of electricity between Tk 6 and Tk 7, but not to pay costly electricity between Tk 9 and Tk 10,” he said. Prof Anu Muhammed said the government is trying to fulfill the conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to withdraw subsidy from power and fuel. “The government moves might benefit a group of businessmen by increasing power generation from liquid fuel-based power projects, but overall industrial growth would be stagnant,” he feared.
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