Cabinet purchase body approves proposals including 3 solar power plants in private sector

Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase in a meeting on Wednesday approved a number of proposals including setting up three solar power plant projects in the private sector from which the state-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) will purchase electricity.

Finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal presided over the virtual meeting.  

As per the first proposal, placed by the Power Division, a joint venture of Parker Bangladesh Limited and Sumitomo Corporation of Japan will set up a 200-MW solar power plant at a location in the Barapukuria coal-mine.

The BPDB will purchase electricity over the period of 20 years at $10.10  (equivalent to Tk 11.05) per kilowatt hour (each unit).

Under the second proposal, a joint venture of Fujian Yongfu Power Engineering Co.,Ltd of China, Air Waves Pvt Limited and Moni Traders Limited will set up 70-MW solar power plant in Bandarban from which the BPDB will buy per unit of power at $9.99 (equivalent to Tk 10.96) for a period of 20 years.

As per the third proposal, the joint venture of Electric Generation Company of Bangladesh and Marubeni Corporation of Japan will set up a 100-MW solar power plant at Sonagazi in Feni.

The BPDB will buy per unit of electricity at $10.09 (equivalent to Tk 11.04) from the plant over the period of 20 years.

With the approvals, the government awarded contracts to establish solar power plants of more than 1000MW in the past six months.

The Cabinet body also approved a proposal from Petrobangla to import 33.66 lakh MMBtu liquefied natural gas with per unit LNG costing $ 14.87 from the international spot market. Singapore PVt Limited will supply the LNG.

Two variation proposals- one from the Bridges Division and other from Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority- were approved by the committee.

The Bridges Division sought extra TK 877.53 crore for the river training component under the Padma Multipurpose Project worth Tk 32,606 crore after the third revision made in April this year.

BEZA sought extra Tk 270 crore for the construction works of the economic zone for Japan at Araihazar in Narayanganj.  

Among other proposals the cabinet committee approved four proposals to import fertilizer.

A shipping ministry proposal to buy two mobile harbour cranes with related accessories for Payra sea port was withdrawn at the last moment, said the cabinet division officials.

The Chattogram City Corporation also withdrew its proposal for buying street light fittings from India with a loan from the supplying country.