Purchase committee approves 10 proposals

The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) has approved ten proposals, including one for extending the tenure of a gas-fired rental power plant by four more years.

The approval came from the first CCGP meeting of the New Year with Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in the chair on Wednesday.

The cabinet committee approved a proposal of state-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) in this regard, said Cabinet Division Additional Secretary.

As per the approval, he informed that the BPDB's Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with private firm Venture Energy Resources Limited will extend for another 4 years to get electricity from the existing 40 MW gas-fired rental power plant in Bhola, reports BSS.

For this purchase, he said, the BPDB will have to spend Tk 3.80 billion during the extended contract period.

However, the power tariff has been lowered to 3.3970 US cents (Tk 2.7176) from 3.49 US Cents (Tk 2.79) per kilowatt-hour (each unit) which will save Tk 498.80 million in the next 4 years, he added.

Nine other proposals from entities under different ministries also received approval.

The CCGP also approved a proposal of the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) to procure 32,400 SPC poles from the Joint Venture of (1) Castle Construction Company Limited and (2) Poles and Concrete Limited at a cost of Tk 315.90 million.

The committee also approved another BPDB proposal to purchase electricity from a 70 MW grid-tied solar power plant to be set up by the Consortium of (1) Daehan Green Energy Company Limited (2) HI Korea Company Limited and (3) Pabna Solar Power Limited at Ishwardi upazila of Pabna district.

The BPDB will purchase electricity from the plant at 10.15 US Cents (equivalent to Tk 8.12) per kilowatt-hour which will involve a cost of Tk 18.43 billion over the contract period of 20 years.

The CCGP also approved another proposal of the BPDB for purchasing electricity from a 50 MW grid-tied solar power plant to be set up by the Consortium of (1) Total Eren S.A., France; (2) Norwegian Renewables Group AS, Norway and (3) Urban Services Ltd, Bangladesh.

The BPDB will purchase electricity from the plant at the same rate of 10.15 US Cents (equivalent to Tk 8.12) per kilowatt-hour over the contract period of 20 years involving a cost of Tk 13.15 billion.

The committee approved a proposal of the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) to import 30,000 tonnes of bulk granular urea fertiliser from Distribution Limited, UAE at a cost of Tk 2.46 billion while another similar proposal of the same entity to import 30,000 tonnes of bulk fertiliser at Tk 2.46 billion Muntajat of Qatar received the nod of the committee.

The BCIC's another proposal to import 25,000 tonnes of rock phosphate from Gentrade, UAE, at Tk 814.89 million received the approval of the committee.

The committee approved two separate proposals of the Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) to import 40,000 tonnes of DAP fertiliser at Tk 3.09 billion and 30,000 tonnes of MOP fertiliser at Tk 1.52 billion.

Each tonne of DAP will cost $900 and MOP at $593.75 considering US dollar rate at Tk 85.50.