Two grid-connected solar power plants receive approval

The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) in a virtual meeting on Wednesday approved a number of proposals including setting up two grid-connected solar power plants in the power sector, import of LNG, fertiliser, edible oil, and lentils.

Capacity extension of the LNG terminal and a new deal for import of LNG were also among other proposals approved by the committee in the meeting presided over by Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal. 

As per the Proposal, a Consortium of Max Infrastructure Limited and Hangzhou Boiler Company will set up a 180 MW (AC) solar power plant in Sadar Upazila of Jamalpur district.

State-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) will purchase electricity from the plant over the period of 20 years at a total cost of Tk 64.10 billion (6,410.40 crores) at a tariff rate of 10.989 (0.9 US Cents) per kilowatt hour.

Energon Renewable (BD) Limited and PWR Energy Trading LLC, a subsidiary of Orion Group, will set up a 130 MW (AC) solar power plant in Gazaria Upazila of Munshiganj district.

The BPDB will buy electricity from the plant over a period of 20 years at a total cost of Tk 46.34 billion (4,634.40 crore) at a tariff rate of Tk 11 (10 US Cents) per kilowatt hour.  

The BPDB will purchase service from General Electric (Switzerland) GmbH., through direct purchase method (DPM) for damaged compressor repair service of Gas Turbine of Ghorashal 3rd Unit Re-Powered Combined Cycle Power Plant at a cost of Tk 1.68 billion (167.98 crore).

The BPDB will award contract to Joint Venture of (1) TSCO Power Ltd.; (2) Confidence Infrastructure Ltd. and (3) Vicar Concrete Products to supply 24,300 SPC poles under Lot-1 of the project ‘Modernization and Capacity Building of Distribution System (Khulna Division) Tk 694 million (69.40 crore).

The BPDB will award contract to Joint Venture of (1) Contech Construction Ltd.; (2) Poles & Concrete Ltd. and (3) Pasha Poles Ltd., to supply 24,297 SPC Poles under Lot-3 of the same project cost of Tk 693.9 million (69.39 crores).

The committee approved the Petrobangla’s proposal for a Deed of Amendment to the LNG Use Agreement draft for the extension of the regasification capacity of Moheshkhali LNG terminal of the Excelerate Energy Bangladesh Ltd (EEBL) from 500 MMCFD to 600 MMCFD.

It also approved a proposal of the Petrobangla for the negotiated bid for import of 0.85 MTPA from January 2026 to 2027 and 1.00 MTPA from 2028 to 2040 from Excelerate Gas Marketing Ltd Partnership and also its Draft LNG SPA (sales and purchase agreement) at Contract Price, offered at 13.35 per cent Dated Brent+0.30) USD/MMBtu.

The CCGP also approved another proposal of Petrobangla to import an LNG Cargo (33.60 lakh) MMBTU from the spot market (23rd of 2023) at a price of $17.55 per MMBTU at a total cost of Tk 7.62 billion (762.36 crore).

Vitol Asia Pte., Ltd, Singapore, was awarded the contract under “Prompt Supply of Electricity and Energy (Special Provisions) (Amendment) Act-2021”.

The committee approved a proposal of the Food Ministry to import 50,000 metric tons of wheat under package-3 through international open tender from Agrocorp International Pte. Ltd., Singapore at a cost of Tk 1.65 billion (164.74 crores).

Another proposal of the Food Ministry received a nod for awarding a contract to Vigan Engineering S.A Belgium under direct purchase method (DPM) for implementing a BMRE programme at Chittagong silo at a cost of Tk 632.1 million (63.21 crore).

Two separate proposals of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) for import of 30,000 MT of bulk prilled urea fertilizer from Muntajat, Qatar at Tk 1.37 billion (136.74 crore), and 30,000 of bagged granular urea fertilizer from Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company Limited (Kafco), at Tk 1.32 million (131.93 crore), received the nod.

The committee approved separate proposals of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) for purchasing 6,000 metric tons of lentils from Shabnam Vegetable Oil Industries Ltd. at cost of Tk 665.8 million (66.58 crore), 40 lakh liters of rice bran oil from Majumdar Bran Oil Mills Ltd. at a cost of Tk 625 million (62.50 crore), 80 lakh litres of soybean oil from City Edible Oil Ltd. at Tk 1.25 billion (125.10 crore) also received the nod of the committee.