The Power Development Board (PDB) is going to adopt the latest Ultra Supercritical Technology to set up coal based thermal power plants.
The plants will reduce carbon emissions, generation costs will be minimised and generation efficiency will be increased.
Among the SAARC countries, only India has taken up the project so far but has yet to complete it.
In Bangladesh, one coal-fired power plant is running on Subcritical Technology while some are supposed to the built under Supercritical Technology.
PDB has taken up a project to build a 6,000 megawatt (MW) ultra supercritical coal-based thermal power plant.
“We intend to build 6,000MW ultra supercritical coal- based thermal power plants in different phases at Maheshkhaliupazila in Cox’s Bazar.” Chairman of PDB Md Abduhu Ruhullah told the Dhaka Tribune.
For the project, the PDB has sought Expressions of Interest (EOI) from international firms. The last date of submission is February 6.
At the same site, PDB will also go for constructing 3,000MW LNG-based combined cycle power plants, and the PDB sought EOIs on the same date.
The plants are supposed to be in operation by 2025.
Ultra supercritical is a thermodynamic expression (pressure above 270 bar and temperature above 580 degree Celsius) where water is directly converted to steam in a boiler.
A PDB official seeking anonymity said, “PDB did not finish works of some ongoing power plants of Supercritical Technology and they are going for new technology. I think it is a highly ambitious project.”
“The fuel envisaged is imported coal and LNG. Five thousand acres of land is in the process of acquisition to implement these power plant projects,” PDB Chairman Abduhu Ruhullah said.
The country is suffering from a shortage of primary fuels such as gas and coal, which are cheaper modes of power generation.
On January 29, 2012, the government struck a deal with India to install a coal-based power plant with a capacity of 1,320MW at Rampal in Bagherhat near the Sundarbans and several private-sector plants are going to be built on Supercritical Technology.
At present, Barapukuria Thermal Power Plant in Dinajpur has a power plant of 250MW of Subcritical Technology.
“We have already invited expressions of interest from reputed engineering consultancy firms with local associates having relevant overseas experience in rendering engineering consultancy services for at least 500MW coal based supercritical or ultra supercritical thermal power plant project,” Md Nazrul Islam, the chief engineer of PDB and project director, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
“PDB intends to prepare a short-list for consultancy firms having requisite eligibility and experience in executing works of similar nature, after getting the EOI,” he said.
“Separate Requests for Proposal (RFP) shall be issued according to the short list,” he added.
“Ultra supercritical coal based thermal power plant unit size will be 600-1,000MW. The five thousand acres of land will be divided into different blocks to implement power plant projects in the Maheshkhali area,” he said.
“At present under phase1, PDB intends to implement ultra supercritical coal based thermal power plant project in one block,” he said.