4,000MW power projects hang in the balance:Daily Sun

 Implementation of several power plant projects with a total capacity of 4,000 megawatts (MW) is uncertain in the next few years as Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) is yet to get the assurance of gas supply to the proposed power plants. Amid the uncertainty over fuel supply, the BPDB has requested the power secretary to scrap a proposal of Indian firm Shapoorji Pallonji Infrastructure Cap
ital Company Limited for setting up a 150MW-225MW gas-fired power plant in Sirajganj. Meanwhile, the government recently scrapped two deals for setting up a 217.9MW and a 367.4MW dual-fuel power plant with another Indian firm—Lanco Infratech Ltd as it failed to pay a performance security deposit (PSD) in time. “The BPDB could not produce 1,500MW-2,000MW of electricity due to shortage in supply of gas to the gas-fired power projects,” BPDB acting secretary Abdul Halim recently informed the power division secretary. Besides, the BPDB could not get any assurance from Petrobangla on gas supply to some other proposed power plants with an estimated total capacity to generate 4,000MW of electricity. However, The Prime Minister has already allowed the North West Power Generation Company Limited (NWPGCL) to set up two plants with a capacity of 225 MW each in Sirajganj under public sector. “It’s not logical to allow the Shapoorji Pallonji proposal to set up a project at Sirajganj due to scarcity of gas,” BPDB said.