Maheshkhali power station (BPDB/TNB)
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Maheshkhali power station (BPDB/TNB) is a power station in Maheshkhali, Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Bangladesh with multiple units of varying statuses, none of which are currently operating. It is also known as Moheshkhali power station, Chittagong TNB, BPDB/TNB Joint Venture coal plant.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Maheshkhali power station (BPDB/TNB) | Maheshkhali, Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Bangladesh | 21.629105, 91.9002 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- 1, Unit 1, Unit 2: 21.629105, 91.9002
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | CHP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shelved inferred May 2024) | fossil gas: LNG[1] | 1320[1] | unknown | not found |
| Unit 1 | Cancelled | coal: unknown | 660 | ultra-supercritical | – |
| Unit 2 | Cancelled | coal: unknown | 660 | ultra-supercritical | – |
CHP is an abbreviation for Combined Heat and Power. It is a technology that produces electricity and thermal energy at high efficiencies. Coal units track this information in the Captive Use section when known.
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tenaga Nasional Bhd [100%][1] | Tenaga Nasional Bhd [100.0%] |
| Unit 1 | Bangladesh Power Development Board [100%] | Bangladesh Power Development Board [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | Bangladesh Power Development Board [100%] | Bangladesh Power Development Board [100.0%] |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): imported
Background
In September 2012, it was reported that a proposal by Malaysia's Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) for installation and operations of the plant had been selected by Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB). The plant would be a 50:50 joint venture between TNB and BPDB, with an estimated cost of RM6.6 billion (US$2.15 bil). The plant would use imported coal.[2][3]
In May 2014, an article in the Daily Sun described the BPDB/TNB joint venture in connection with a different location – Maheshkhali.[4] The Maheshkhali location was also mentioned in an article published on January 1, 2014 in the Daily Star by Mushfiqur Rahman, a mining engineer. That article described the project as 1200 MW.[5]
In September 2014, the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) signed a MoU with a consortium of Tenaga Nasional Berhad and Powertek Berhad to build the station. According to BPDB, the project would be financed with 70-80 percent debt and 20-30 percent equity on a Build, Own, and Operate (BOO) basis. The project would use ultra-supercritical technology. It would be built on 550 acres of land at Cox's Bazar.[6]
In February 2016, it was reported that the Power Development Board (PDB), China Huadian, Tenaga Nasional Berhar (TNB), Powertek Energy, and Malaysia would form a joint venture to build a 2 x 660 MW coal in Maheshkhali, planned for operation in 2019.[7]
In July 2016, Bangladesh awarded the US$2.5 billion (RM 10.1 billion) project to "a Malaysian consortium," according to a statement conveyed by the Bangladesh State Minister for Power, in a decision reportedly made by the Bangladesh Cabinet. According to news reports, the project would be sited at Maheshkhali, Coxs Bazar. The Malaysian consortium and BPDB would have equal equity shareholding, and a joint venture company would be formed. The joint venture company would sign a long-term power purchasing agreement with BPDB as the sole off-taker of power. The feasibility study would require six to nine months, the tender for EPC contract three to six months, project documentation and financial closure nine to 12 months, and construction four years – implying that the project would be complete no sooner than 2022.[8]
In August 2016, it was reported the plant was expected to begin commercial operation by 2022, four years after the signing of the engineering procurement and construction contract (EPC) in 2018.[9]
The plant was listed in the Bangladesh 2016 Master Plan "Revisited", released in November 2018, with a planned commissioning of 2027.[10]
In August 2017, it was reported that the BPDB had signed memoranda of understandings to build four coal-fired power plants of 1320 MW each at the Maheshkhali power complex, with China Huadian, a Malaysian Consortium of Tenaga Nasional Berhad, Korean KEPCO, and China SEPCO:[11]
- Maheshkhali power station (BPDB/TNB) (Malaysia Consortium)
- Maheshkhali power station (Huadian)
- Maheshkhali power station (KEPCO)
- Maheshkhali power station (PowerChina) (SEPCO)
However, beyond being listed in the master plan, there has been no development on the BPDB/TNB plant since 2016. According to Energy and Power in April 2019, the Pre-MoU agreements for Maheshkhali power station (BPDB/TNB), Maheshkhali power station (PowerChina), and Maheshkhali power station (KEPCO) have not advanced further "as foreign companies failed to get approval from their respective governments".[12]
Cancellation/Conversion to LNG
In January 2020, The Daily Sun reported the Bangladesh government had decided to scrap the proposed coal plant due to slow progress in project implementation.[13]
On November 19, 2020, The Daily Star reported that Bangladesh's power, energy and mineral resources ministry had finalized an energy plan that cancelled all coal plants except five under construction.[14]
In June 2021, the Bangladesh State Minister for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources announced the government was officially dropping ten coal plant projects in its master energy plan totaling over 8 GW of power due to delays in implementation. Two 1,320 MW Maheshkhali coal plants were cancelled, and the BPDB/TNB project appeared to be among the ten cancelled coal plants.[15]
In October 2021, the Bangladesh Working Group on External Debt (BWGED) and News Founded also wrote that the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) was expected to cancel six additional coal-fired power plants planned to be developed on the Maheshkhali Islands. The government was reportedly planning to convert the six power plants from coal to LNG and renewable energy.[16][17]
The Maheshkhali power station (BPDB/TNB) is one of the five coal projects being considered for conversion to LNG.[18]
Background on Maheshkhali power complex
Maheshkhali power station was part of a large multi-plant complex being organized by the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB). In August 2013, Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) announced that it intended to develop a multi-plant power complex at Cox's Bazaar, including both coal-fired plants and combined cycle gas-fired plants. The announcement stated that the BPDB "intends to build 6000 MW Ultra Super Critical Coal Based Thermal Power Plant and 3000 MW LNG Based Combined Cycle Power Plant in different phases at Maheshkhali Upazila in Cox’s Bazar District." The announcement stated that the fuel for the projects would be imported coal and liquified natural gas. Five thousand acres were in the process of acquisition, situated within Amabassaya, Honanok and Panir Chhara mouza of Hoanok Union and Gharibhanga mouza of Kutubjhom union under Maheshkhali upazila, Cox’s Bazar.
Additional information is available at Maheshkhali power complex.
Contact details
Website: http://www.bpdb.gov.bd/
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20211024130748/https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/trade/five-coal-plants-set-to-run-on-gas-1624587758?amp=true. Archived from the original on 24 October 2021.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "TNB set to get 1320 MW coal powered plant job in Bangladesh," The Green Mechanics, September 21, 2012
- ↑ "Notice and Invitation for Coal Fired Power Projects, IPP" Bangladesh Power Development Board, accessed April 9, 2014
- ↑ "ABD to finance mega coal-fired porject at Moheshkhali," Daily Sun, May 28, 2014
- ↑ "Primary energy supply challenges for power," The Daily Star, January 1, 2014
- ↑ "MoU signed with Malaysia to set up power plant at Maheshkhali," Prothem Alo, September 22, 2014
- ↑ "1,350 MW coal-fired twin power plants in Maheshkhali soon," Daily Observer, February 26, 2016
- ↑ "Bangladesh awards US$2.5bil coal-fired power project to Malaysia," The Star Online, July 21, 2016
- ↑ "Maheshkhali power plant to begin operation by 2022," The Independent, August 23, 2016
- ↑ 2016 Master Plan "Revisited", Bangladesh Power Division, November 2018
- ↑ "PDB plans 13,500MW at Moheshkhali Power Hub," Bangladesh Post, November 18, 2017
- ↑ "Dream Islands," Energy and Power, April 19, 2019
- ↑ Jahangir, Shamim (2020-01-21). "Govt to scrap power deals with Malaysian, S Korean firms". the Daily Sun. Retrieved 2021-03-08.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Future not coal power," The Daily Star, November 19, 2020
- ↑ "10 coal-fired power projects scrapped as part of master plan revision," UNB, June 27, 2021
- ↑ “GOB is to cancel 6 more coal power plants,” BWGED, Hasan Mehedi, October 29, 2021
- ↑ "Six other coal-fired power plants were canceled," News Founded, undated (referencing October 8, 2020 letter)
- ↑ The Financial Express. "Five coal plants set to run on gas". The Financial Express. Retrieved 2022-12-05.
Additional data
To access additional data, including interactive maps of the power stations, downloadable datasets, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker and the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
