The government has adopted a plan to build another coal-based power plant with the capacity to generate 1,320MW of electricity in Maheshkhali, Cox's Bazar.
The state-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China-based Sepco Electric Power Construction Corporation to set up the ultra-critical project by importing coal.
PDB Secretary Md Zahirul Haque and Sepco President Liu Chuanming signed the MoU at Bidyut Bhaban in Dhaka on Monday.
As per the agreement, the PDB and Sepco will soon form a joint venture company to set up the power plant. Both the parties have agreed to finance 50% of the project.
Sepco, a subsidiary of Powerchina, is a comprehensive engineering company that is involved in operation of electric power projects and infrastructures, along with many other sectors.
The new plant is a part of the government's plan to install a series of power plants in Maheshkhali, for which it has already acquired 5,000 acres of land.
The Power Division has prepared a road map to generate around 20,000MW of electricity from coal-based power plants by 2030.
Of the targeted amount, 11,250MW of electricity will be generated using domestically produced coal, while the rest will be generated using imported coal.
Two years ago, on September 22, 2014, the PDB made a similar deal with the Malaysian consortium of Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and Powertek Energy Sdn Bhd (PB), signing two MoU's with the companies to set up a 1,320MW coal-based power plant in Maheshkhali, but there has been no progress in that project.
Besides this project, the state-run Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Ltd is also planning to set up a 1,200MW coal-based power plant Cox’s Bazar's Matarbari area.
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
