The government is going to build a 660-megawatt gas or liquified natural gas-based power plant in Mirsarai of Chattogram.
The cabinet committee on purchase yesterday approved the plant, which will be implemented by the Bangladesh Power Development Board.
A consortium of Confidence Power Holdings Ltd, GE Capital US Holding Inc, Confidence Power Ltd, and Electropac Industries Ltd will implement the project.
A unit of electricity from the plant will cost 3.037 US cents, or Tk 2.943, if the plant is gas-based, while it will be 6.796 US cents, or Tk 5.436, it is based on re-gasified liquified natural gas.
The move came after the government scrapped plans to build eight coal-fired power projects recently considering the environmental issues.
While briefing reporters after the meeting, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said the government would build more new power plants using alternative fuels due to the cancellation of the coal-based power plants.
He said the government had cancelled the coal-fired power plants as they are harmful to the environment.
The purchase committee also approved the proposals of extending the term of four quick rental power plants for one to five years.
The delay in the construction of several other plants was a reason for the extension of the quick rental power plants.
Shamsul Arefin, additional secretary of the cabinet division, said the unit prices of the extended projects will be lower than the previous rates.
The four plants are: 50MW gas-based power plant in Sylhet’s Kumargaon; Fenchuganj 50MW gas-based plant; Bogura 20MW gas-based plant; and Ashuganj 53MW gas-based plant.
The purchase committee also approved a proposal allowing the government to import 50,000 tonnes of wheat from Bagadiya Brothers Pvt Ltd of India.
(TDS)