A Chinese consortium is likely to get the job for building a solar energy-based 30 megawatt power plant in Kurigram as part of the government’s initiative to promote use of renewable energy.
Sources said the proposal for awarding the contract to the ETERN-CCCE (China)-Hareon Consortium will be placed before a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase today, to be chaired by Finance Minister AMA Muhith.
According to a proposal of the government’s Power Division, the Chinese consortium quoted the lowest tariff rate of $0.17/KWH or Tk13.18/KWH. The other bidders for the tender were Germany-based Beximco-Active Solar consortium and China-based Intraco-Juli Power Consortium. The government’s renewable energy policy says there is a plan to account for 5% of the total power generation using renewable energy sources by 2015 and 10% by 2021.
For this, there is a plan to build six solar park projects with a combined capacity of 152MW power at a cost of Tk4,000 crore. Upon completion, these projects will supply their produce to the national grid. The Chinese consortium will build-own-operate (BOO) the power plant beside the Dhorola River in Kurigram for the next 20 years.
During the period, the Power Development Board (PDB) will spend Tk1,046 crore to purchase electricity generated in the plant and supply it to the national grid.
The five other planned renewable energy-based power plants are the Rangunia 60MW in Chittagong, Sarishabari 3MW in Jamalpur, Irshadi 2MW in Pabna, Aricha 1.5MW in Manikganj, Sirajgang 1MW and Gonggachara 55MW in Rangpur. According PDB’s latest data, a total of 370MW power is now being generated from various renewable energy sources across the country.
This includes 230MW from the Kaptai Hydro Power Station in the hill district of Rangamati.
