Maheshkhali power station (KEPCO)
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Maheshkhali power station (KEPCO) is a cancelled power station in Maheshkhali, Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Bangladesh. It is also known as Moheshkhali power station.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Maheshkhali power station (KEPCO) | Maheshkhali, Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Bangladesh | 21.632953, 91.901935 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2: 21.632953, 91.901935
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | cancelled | coal: unknown | 660 | ultra-supercritical | 2029 |
| Unit 2 | cancelled | coal: unknown | 660 | ultra-supercritical | 2029 |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Korea Electric Power Corp [100%] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | Korea Electric Power Corp [100%] | Korea Electric Power Corp [100.0%] |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): imported
Background
According to a May 2014 report in Dhaka's Daily Sun, Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) showed interest in setting up a 1,320 MW coal-fired power plant at Maheshkhali. In August 2016, the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) signed a memorandum of understanding to install the power station. The plant was expected to be commissioned on June 23, 2023.[1]
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:[2]
- Maheshkhali power station (BPDB/TNB) (Malaysian Consortium)
- Maheshkhali power station (Huadian)
- Maheshkhali power station (KEPCO)
- Maheshkhali power station (PowerChina) (SEPCO)
In March 2018, it was reported that primary work on the KEPCO project had not started, and that there were discussions of South Korea helping set up a gas plant in the country rather than a coal plant.[3]
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) had not advanced further "as foreign companies failed to get approval from their respective governments".[4]
November 2018 government plan
The plant appeared to be listed in the Bangladesh 2016 Master Plan "Revisited", released in November 2018, as "Moheshkhali 1200 MW USCPP JV of BPDB & KEPCO, South Korea." It had a planned commissioning date of 2029.[5]
Cancellation news
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.[6] The power station would likely be cancelled as a result.
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, but the Maheshkhali power station (KEPCO) was not clearly among the ten cancelled coal plants.[7]
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.[8][9]
Based on this news, the power station appears cancelled.
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.
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ "Power subsidy to go by 2023," The Bangladesh Post, April 22, 2017
- ↑ "PDB plans 13,500MW at Moheshkhali Power Hub," Bangladesh Post, November 18, 2017
- ↑ "No progress in 19 power plants yet," The Bangladesh Post, March 9, 2018
- ↑ "Dream Islands," Energy and Power, April 19, 2019
- ↑ 2016 Master Plan "Revisited", Bangladesh Power Division, November 2018
- ↑ "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)
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
