Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will formally inaugurate three gas-based power plants that will add 476 MW to the national grid, via videoconference from her residence today.
The three new power plants in Ashuganj are a 51 MW unit built by an independent power producer (IPP), a 200 MW unit built by a public-private partnership (PPP) and a 225 MW unit built by a state-owned company.
“The power plants began commercial power generation a few months ago. The PM will now formally inaugurate them,” AMM Sazzadur Rahman, acting managing director of state-owned Ashuganj Power Station Company Limited (APSCL), told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
The three plants have already added 390 MW of electricity to the national grid. The remaining 86 MW will be added within three months, he said.
The Power Development Board buys electricity from the IPP plant at Tk2.02, from the PPP plant at Tk3.49 and from the state-owned company at Tk2.03 per unit, he said.
APSCL invested Tk2,116 crore to set up the publicly owned 225 MW power plant.
United Group and APSCL constructed the 200 MW modular power project under a joint venture initiative. United Group borrowed Tk1,008 crore in loans to set up the project that requires an investment of Tk1,326 crore.
Privately-owned Midland Power Company Limited invested Tk300 crore to build their 51 MW power plant.
The government aims to generate 20,000 MW of electricity as part of its target of supplying power to every citizen by 2021.
On July 20, 2013, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the construction of five power plants funded by local and foreign, private and public investment. l