A Saudi-Bangladesh joint-venture company will set up 300MW solar power plant in a location beside the Rampal coal-fired power plant.
Cabinet Committee Government Purchase (CCGP) approved a proposal in this regard on Wednesday in a virtual meeting with Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in the chair.
The Power Division placed the unsolicited proposal on behalf of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) in the meeting.
The Joint Stock Company’s partners are – ACWA Power Company, Saudi Arabia, Comfit Composite Knit Ltd Bangladesh, Viyellatex Spinning Ltd, Bangladesh and Midland East Power Ltd Bangladesh
As per the proposal, state-owned BPDB will purchase electricity from the plant at a tariff rate of Tk11.067 per kilowatt hour (each unit) over the period of 20 years.
According to official sources, this has been the highest ever tariff in recent years the BPDB accepted when the generation cost of solar power is globally coming down.
The government will need to spend about Tk10,761 crore for the entire tenure of the contract period.
The Cabinet Committee also approved a number of proposals of different ministries.
As per approved proposals, Bangladesh Trading Corporation (TCB) will procure 6,000 tons of lentil from Nabil Naba Foods Ltd, at a cost of Tk57.05 crore through open tender while 4 million rice bran oil will be procured by the organization from Majumdar Bran Oil Mills Ltd, at a cost of Tk64.60 crore.
Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) will purchase 25,000 tons of rock phosphate (72% BPL minimum) for TSP Complex Limited (TSPCL) Chittagong from Agro Industrial Inputs, Dhaka (Main supplier: M/s. Wilson International Trading, Malaysia) at a cost of Tk97.82 crore.
The BCIC will procure 10,000 tons of Phosphoric Acid for its company TSPCL, Chittagong from Best Eastern, Dhaka (Main supplier: Guangxi Pengyue Eco-Technology Co Ltd, China) at a cost of Tk58.86 crore.
The BCIC will import a total of 90,000 tons of fertiliser from two companies.
Besides, 30,000 tons of bulk prilled urea fertilizer will be imported from Muntajat, Qatar at a cost of Tk130.52 crore while another 30,000 tons bulk granular urea fertilizer from the same Qatari company at Tk131.12 crore under state level agreement.
The BCIC will purchase 30,000 tons of bagged granular urea fertilizer from Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company Limited (Kafco), Bangladesh at the cost of Tk129.18 crore.