The Ashuganj 450MW gas-based Combined Cycle Power Plant (South) is expected to go on commercial operation from June next year.
During a visit to the project site at Ashuganj in Brahmanbaria yesterday, Spanish Ambassador to Bangladesh Luis Tejada expressed his satisfaction on the progress of the construction work and said the national grid would get power from the plant from next year.
“I am happy to see the progress of the project. It will be a great achievement for the power sector in Bangladesh,” he told journalists.
“The demand for electricity is growing day by day in Bangladesh. More than one Spanish companies are working to install power plant in this regard,”
He said Spain was the eleventh largest investor worldwide with a stock of foreign direct investment of $640m, which accounted for 3% of global investment.
Meanwhile, officials said the project – being implemented by state-owned Ashuganj Power Station Company Limited – has achieved 73% overall physical progress and 55% financial progress.
HSBC’s Hong Kong branch financed the project as coordinating arranger of the fund under the ECA (export credit agency) facilities, while HERMES of Germany, ONDD of Belgium, CESCE of Spain provided the ECA facilities to implement the project.
A consortium of TSK Electronica Spain, and Inelectra International, Sweden, obtained the EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contract and started work in March 2013.
“The plant’s gross production capacity will be 382MW, while the net output will be 373MW. The plant will run at 57% efficiency using natural gas of 50 million cubic feet per day,” Ashuganj Power Station Company Limited (APSCL) Managing Director Md Nurul Alam told the Dhaka Tribune.
“The plant is expected to be commissioned in June 2015. The estimated cost of the plant is around Tk37.92bn,” he said.
It is intended that the 450MW south plant will be fired continuously with natural gas through feeder lines from Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd.
For the plant, two new gas pipelines – each 600 metre long – will be constructed along with gas supply system within the APSCL premises and power will be evacuated using existing transmission lines.
In addition, the APSCL is installing at the same location, the Ashuganj 450MW Combined Cycle Power Plant (North), which is expected to be commissioned in June 2016; the 225MW Ashuganj Combined Cycle Power Plant and the Ashuganj 200MW Modular Power Plant – the first of its kind in the country.
The Ashuganj Power Station currently has a total capacity of 671MW.