City News
Intensive govt monitoring pays off: Country to get 220 mw power by next June
By UNB, Dhaka
Fri, 6 Jul 2007, 13:19:00

Intensive monitoring of a crisis situation and prompt decision of the caretaker government pays off as the country is going to get about 220MW electricity from two new plants by the middle of next year.

Of this new output, 70 megawatts of electricity will be added up to the national grid by December this year while another 150MW lot by the middle of next year, official sources said.

According to the sources, a power plant of 90MW capacity is being built at Fenchuganj in Sunamganj under the Power Development Board (PDB) while a 40MW combined-cycle unit is now at end of installation at Baghabari in Sirajganj.

Chinese contractor Harbin Power Engineering (HPE) is working as turnkey contractor for the plant.

Private power Company Westmont Power (Bangladesh) Ltd is setting up a 40MW combined-cycle plant as the second unit of the existing 90MW plant at the same location.

The Westmont is also implementing another 90MW plant at the same location of Baghabari power station.A top official of the PDB said the Power Ministry is now regularly monitoring the installation works under the projects, which ultimately resulting in their timely finish.

When contacted, Project Manger of the 90MW Fenchuganj project Jalal Uddin told UNB that work in his project is going on in a full swing. "Already, we have achieved 50 percent progress in the works… now the remaining works will also be completed on schedule," he said. Jalal said a total of three units-two each 30MW gas turbine as simple cycle and another 30MW steam- turbine unit-will be installed as combined in the project.

Of these, he said, the first gas-turbine unit will go into operation in October next while the second gas turbine start production in April next year.

"The last steam-turbine unit, a combined-cycle one, will come into production by the middle of next year," he added. The project manager admitted that, initially, the works at the project site got delayed due to delay in land handover to the contractor. "But now, work is progressing in a satisfactory manner and we hope to complete it as per schedule."

Besides, after an inordinate delay for more than three years, the Westmont authorities recently informed the Power Ministry in writing that its 40MW combined-cycle unit would start production by December 31.

The Malaysia-based company also promised to install its 90MW unit by June 2008.

After repeated failure to keep up to the schedule, the Westmont made this latest commitment in line with the decision of a coordination meeting at the Power Ministry, which was attended by power-sector special taskforce chief Major General MA Wadud. However, some of the officials at the PDB are still skeptical about the final deadline given by the Westmont to install its two plants. When contacted, Westmont chairman Kazi Tazul Islam Faruque told UNB that the company has already appointed the China-based Fujian Electric Power Engineering Company (FEPEC) to give the finishing touches to the 40MW project.

"The Chinese company has already mobilised its manpower and equipment at the plant site, and they are working round the clock," he said about the work on a war footing-in a changed situation, though. Industry-insiders said when the country continued to experience huge power shortages-largely for foot dragging with the tendering of a number of plants in the past-the 220MW electricity from the two new plants would come as a blessing to ease the erratic power-supply situation.



© Copyright 2003 by ittefaq.com