top of page
Search

Bibiyana 383 MW (BPDB) DFG Power Plant (South)

  • Jul 8
  • 4 min read

Current Status: Operation

Source: (ENR)


Bibiyana 383 MW Gas Power Plant (South), also known as Bibiyana South Power Station, is a Combined Cycle (CC) power plant situated in Parkul village, Nabiganj Upazilla in Habiganj District of Bangladesh near the south bank of the Kushiyara river (Location: 24.6345, 91.6609). It is sponsored by Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) as a State owned Power Plant (SOPP) for 25 years. The power plant started its commercial operation on 28 January 2021 and, as per schedule, it will retire on 27 January 2046 (BPDB, 2022). 


Capacity

The installed (gross) and derated (net) capacity of the power plant is 410 MW and 383 MW respectively.


Context

In December 2014, The Power Development Board (PDB) initially signed an EPC contract with a consortium of Isolux Ingenieria (Spain) and Samsung C&T (South Korea) to establish the Bibiyana South combined cycle power plant project, which generates a capacity of 400 megawatts. However, Isolux Ingenieria's parent company Grupo Isolux Corsan SA filed for bankruptcy in 2016, causing significant delays. Subsequently, a new EPC contract was awarded in November 2017 to a consortium of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) of India and Samsung C&T Corporation of South Korea, worth approximately USD 250 million, with L&T as the lead implementing contractor (DT, 2016 ; BS, 2017).

Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) independently financed and executed the gas-fired combined cycle power plant project, boasting a total net generation capacity of nearly 400 MW achieved through a combination of simple cycle and combined cycle units. Among these, the simple cycle units contribute 252.264MW capacity, while the combined cycle unit adds 131.246MW. The project sources its gas supply from the Bibiyana gas field and remarkably maintains a low electricity production cost of only BDT 1.13 Tk per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Essential equipment like the gas turbine, steam turbine, generator, and other primary components were sourced from various countries including Germany, Belgium, the USA, Spain, and China (NN,2014).


Land Acquisition

The total land area of this power plant is around 10 acres (PT, 2016).


Finance

The estimated cost of electricity production in the project was set at BDT 1.13 Tk per kilowatt-hour (kWh), factoring in an 85% plant factor. Meanwhile, the anticipated power tariff was estimated to be BDT 4.70 Tk per unit. The project has a designated lifespan of 25 years. The estimated project expenditure amounted to $322.96 million, with the EPC contract valued at $288.26 million (DT,2014).

 

Sponsor

The power plant is sponsored by Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) which is the sole electricity buyer from private and public power plants in Bangladesh.


Contractor

PDB initially signed the EPC contract in December 2014 with Isolux Ingenieria SA (Spain) and Samsung C&T Corporation (South Korea). However, following the bankruptcy of Isolux's parent company Grupo Isolux Corsan SA in 2016 and consequent construction delays, a new EPC contract was awarded in November 2017 to a consortium of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) of India and Samsung C&T Corporation of South Korea, valued at approximately USD 250 million. L&T served as the lead EPC contractor, handling design, detail engineering, supply, installation, and commissioning on a turnkey basis. L&T-Sargent & Lundy (a JV between L&T and Sargent & Lundy, USA) performed plant integration and detail engineering (DT, 2016 ; BS, 2017).


Fuel Supply

The power plant expected to utilise approximately 60 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas, sourced from the Bibiyana gas field for its operations (DT, 2016).


Power Generation

The combined cycle gas-fired power plant has a total net generation capacity of 383.51 megawatts (MW), achieved by utilising both simple cycle and combined cycle units in combination. The plant was noted as having an HGPI (Hot Gas Path Inspection) due in recent operational records, indicating it is approaching a scheduled major maintenance milestone. (BPDB, 2026)


Environment

According to Section 12 of the Bangladesh Environment Protection Act 1995, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is obligatory for any industry (MOLJPA 1995). Polluting industries, such as power plants, must undergo an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) and EIA as directed in the Environmental Conservation Rules 1997 (MOEFCC, 1997). The use of fuel in generating electricity releases harmful pollutants such as CO2, NOx, CO, VOCs, and PM, posing risks to human health and worsening air quality. Conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for this power plant is crucial. It's essential to note that power plants, less efficient and more environmentally harmful compared to combined cycle plants, should be considered. Shifting from natural gas to renewable energy sources in the future would be a more environmentally friendly choice.


Criticism

The power plant emits a substantial amount of carbon due to the use of natural gas as its primary fuel source, leading to the release of various harmful and toxic gases into the environment. But, to date, no IEE or EIA report has been conducted for the power plant. According to the environmental conservation rule 2023 the project falls in the “Red” indicating it as a potential harmful project for the environment (MOEFCC 2023).


References

bottom of page