Matarbari Kohelia power station
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Matarbari Kohelia power station is a power station in Maheshkhali, Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Bangladesh with multiple units of varying statuses, none of which are currently operating.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Matarbari Kohelia power station | Maheshkhali, Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Bangladesh | 21.706871, 91.890997 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- 1, Phase I Unit 1, Phase II Unit 1: 21.706871, 91.890997
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | CHP | Start year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shelved inferred May 2024) | fossil gas: LNG[1] | 700[1] | unknown | not found | – |
| Phase I Unit 1 | Cancelled | coal: unknown | 700 | ultra-supercritical | – | 2023 |
| Phase II Unit 1 | Cancelled | coal: unknown | 700 | ultra-supercritical | – | 2032 |
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 | Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Ltd [100%][1] | Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Ltd [100.0%] |
| Phase I Unit 1 | CPGCBL/Sembcorp JV [100%] | Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Ltd; Sembcorp Industries Ltd |
| Phase II Unit 1 | CPGCBL/Sembcorp JV [100%] | Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Ltd; Sembcorp Industries Ltd |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): imported
Financing
- Source of financing: Pre-financing as of June 2020, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation appointed as Financial advisor
Background
On December 9, 2015, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Bangladesh's state-owned Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Limited (CPGCBL) and Singapore’s Sembcorp to jointly build and finance a 700 MW ultra-supercritical coal plant in Maheshkhali Upazila. The project was to be implemented on a 50:50 equity basis. As per the MoU, Sembcorp was to construct the power plant, a jetty for coal imports, coal storage facilities, the development of a township, rural electrification and transmission facilities, and roadways.[2]
According to CPGCBL's 2015-16 Annual Report (p39), a second unit of 700 MW was also planned: "Invitation for Expression of Interest (EOI) for provision of Engineering, Procurement and Construction Contract for Phase 1 of 2x700 MW Kohelia Power Plant Project is likely to be started by December, 2016. Negotiation with the International commercial lenders for project financing is going on."[3]
An EOI for contractors to build the plant was released in December 2016. In February 2017, CPGCBL and Sembcorp said they were reviewing three bids to build the plant, from Japan-based Mitsubishi Corporation, India's Larsen & Toubro Limited, and the China Energy Engineering Group.[2]
According to the Bangladesh Power Division's Master Plan "Revisited" (November 2018), unit 1 was planned for commissioning in December 2023 and unit 2 in December 2032. (The project is referenced as a JV of "Symcorp & CPGCBL" [sic].)[4]
As of April 2019, around 1,400 acres of land had been acquired for the plant. AecomIndia was engaged to conduct the Social and Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA). Six companies were short-listed for engaging the EPC contractor. Unit 1 was reportedly planned for operation in 2025, after which unit 2 would be built.[5]
Cancellation/Conversion to LNG
The Japanese commercial bank Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) was appointed the Financial advisor for at least the first phase of the project.[6] However, in May 2020, SMBC announced a policy stating it would end support for “newly planned coal-fired power plants,” which presumably ruled out the bank's involvement in Matarbari Kohelia.[7]
In addition, in August 2020, Bangladesh’s minister of power, energy and mineral resources, Nasrul Hamid, stated that the government was planning to review an array of planned coal plants, signaling a potential pivot in Bangladesh away from coal power towards increased reliance on gas-based power from imported liquified natural gas (LNG). Three coal plants that were in construction would be excluded from the review: the Rampal power station, the Matarbari power station (separate from the Matarbari Kohelia power station), and the Payra power station. According to Minister Hamid, "We are reviewing how we can move from coal-based power plants." Matarbari Kohelia power station was therefore likely to be reviewed by the government.[8]
In November 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.[9]
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. At least one phase (700 MW) of the capacity proposed at the Matarbari Kohelia power station was among the ten cancelled coal plants.[10] The other 700 MW also appears shelved or cancelled.
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.[11][12]
It is one of the five coal projects being considered for conversion to LNG.[13]
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) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 Aminur Rahman Rasel, "Bids submitted for 700MW Kohelia coal plant," Dhaka Tribune, February 9, 2017
- ↑ "Annual Report 2015-2016," CPGCBL, 2015-16
- ↑ 2016 Master Plan "Revisited", Bangladesh Power Division, November 2018
- ↑ "Dream Islands," Energy and Power, April 19, 2019
- ↑ Stop Matarbari Coal Power Projects Market Forces, June 12, 2020
- ↑ "Small steps in the race to save our climate: The effect of the coal policy changes of the Japanese megabanks," Market Forces, May 14, 2020
- ↑ Tom Baxter, "Bangladesh may ditch 90% of its planned coal power," China Dialogue, August 27, 2020
- ↑ "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.
