The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The Advisers' Committee on Public Purchase Thursday approved the 50 MW rental power plant project to be set up at Fenchuganj in Sunamganj.

A local private firm, Barakatullah Electro Dynamics Limited (BEDL), will set up the plant as an independent power producer (IPP) project.

As per proposal placed by the Power Ministry, the plant will be barge, skid or trailer-mounted and the BEDL will install the plant under a joint venture with a foreign firm.

The Power Development Board (PDB) will purchase electricity from the project for 15 years for the national grid at Tk 2.01 per kilowatt-hour.

After approving the project, Finance and Planning Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam, who presided over the committee meeting, told reporters that the private company proved it has experience in setting up a similar plant in Thailand.

They also showed the certified copy of their joint venture-ship with the foreign firm, he said.

The committee, known as Cabinet Purchase Committee, approved another proposal for import of 60,000 metric tons of refined petroleum from Egypt.

The Egyptian Middle East Oil Refinery (MIDOR) will supply the refined fuel at international rate charging a premium of US$5.20 per ton.

The purchase committee also approved two more proposals-appointment of contractors for the Chittagong Port Trade Facilitation project and the Rural Road Networking project, both ADB-supported.

The committee sent back a proposal of the Industries Ministry for import of 30,000 metric tons of MOP fertilizer as it found the quoted price too high.

The committee also sent back a proposal of the Shipping Ministry to construct a jetty and RCC yard at Pangaon Inland Container Depot finding its technical feasibility study incomplete.

There was a proposal from the Power Ministry for awarding a contract to Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) of India for the construction of 100 MW simple cycle power plant in Sylhet. But the committee did not discuss the proposal for reasons not known.

In the international tender invited by the PDB, the BHEL was the lone bidder to win the contract.

The Finance Adviser hinted that the proposal might be placed in the next meeting of the committee for consideration.