The New Nation - Internet Edition

POWER Development Board's Haripur power plant that was renovated last year at a cost of Tk 112 crore, has now been put on the list of what is called 'inefficient' plants that face closure for current gas crisis. According to recent media reports, it seems that the entire money has gone down the drain as the energy ministry has already included the Haripur plant in a list of 'inefficient plants' that should not be operated because of gas crisis. Three units of 100MW Haripur power plant and most of its staffers remained idle from July 18 as a result. Though the Haripur plant resumed operation on Friday following the closure of 210MW Siddhirgonj plant for scheduled maintenance, it will again be closed within four to five days once Siddhirgonj plant resumes generation.

In fact, given the current gas supply and government's apathy towards public sector power plants, many fear that the plant will not go into operation for a long time. Once gas is available for Haripur the plant will resume generation. But it is unlikely that Haripur will get gas some time soon as a number of rental power plants and small independent power plants, to be operated by private sector, are scheduled to start generation within few months. The Haripur power plant was installed in 1987 and renovated in 2006-2007 with money including foreign exchange component of Tk 84 crore. As reported, a senior official of power division reportedly said that it is not true that Haripur plant was shut down to facilitate private operators. Even if the gas is not supplied to the rental and small IPPs, Petrobangla will not be able to supply gas to Haripur because of problems in transmission lines.