The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) yesterday approved 10 development projects involving Tk7,276 crore in power, energy and communications sectors.
The approval came from a meeting of the government’s highest policy-making body at NEC conference room in city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Planning minister AHM Mustafa Kamal informed journalists after the meeting.
Of the total project cost, Tk918,65 crore will come from the government exchequer, Tk603 crore from the related public entities’ own fund and rest of over Tk4,755 crore from project assistance, said the planning minister.
The meeting approved installation of single point mooring with double pipelines project worth around Tk5,000 crore at Maheshkhali to ensure smooth unloading of crude oil and finished products.
The minister said the idea for single point mooring project was first initiated with single pipeline in 2010, but later the idea of installing double pipeline was devised to make the project more effectively.
“Once the project is implemented, it would take only two days instead of existing 11 days to unload crude oil from mother vessels to the light vessels in the bay and also reduce the cost of doing business significantly and ensure effective service delivery,” said the minister.
Eastern Refinery Limited on behalf of the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation under the Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry will implement the single point-mooring project by December 2018.
Out of the estimated project cost, around Tk921 crore would come from the government exchequer while over Tk112 crore from the own fund of public agencies and around Tk3,903 crore as project assistance from the Chinese EXIM Bank.
Under the project, around 220-kilometer pipeline, tank farm and pump station will be set at Maheshkhali.
The Ecnec approved another project titled “The Western Zone Grid Network Development Project with around Tk1424 crore.
Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (OGCB) under the Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry will implement the proposed project by June 2019.
Of the estimated project cost, the government would provide around Tk325 crore, KfW of Germany would provide Tk625 crore as project assistance and the rest of around Tk474 crore would be collected from PGCB.
The meeting also endorsed another project titled “Procurement of Container scanner for Chittagong, Mongla, ICD Kamalapur and Benapole Custom House” with a cost of over Tk117 crore.