Current Status: Operation

(Source: SPL)
Gazipur 149 MW Dual Fuel Power Plant, also known as Kodda 149 MW Power Plant or ACE Alliance Power Plant, is situated in Kodda Bazar in Gazipur Sadar Upazila in Gazipur District of Bangladesh (Location: 23.9914, 90.3386). The Power Plant is operated by ACE Alliance Power Limited, a Joint Venture Company (JVC) of Summit Power Limited (SPL) and Alliance Holdings Limited (AHL), as a private Independent Power Producer (IPP) for 15 years. The sponsor declared its Commercial Operation Date (COD) on 12 July 2018, and, as per schedule, the power plant is to retire on 11 July 2033.
Capacity
The installed (gross) and derated (net) capacity of the power plant is 156.57 MW and 149 MW, respectively.
Context
On 11 July 2011, the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) of Bangladesh approved the establishment of a power plant. Fast forward to 12 April 2017, Summit Group, a prominent player in the power industry, signed a power purchase agreement with the Bangladesh Power Development Board and an implementation deal with the Ministry of Power and Energy for a 149 MW independent power plant (IPP) in Kodda, Gazipur (DS, 2017).
Ace Alliance Power Limited (AAPL), the entity overseeing this venture, achieved financial close through a USD 68.6 million foreign currency term loan from the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), IDCOL, and ICD. Operating under the common management of parent company Summit Power Limited (SPL) since the transfer of shares from Aitken Spence Plc. and Alliance Holdings Limited in June 2016, AAPL commenced its commercial operations on 12 July 2018 (SPL, 2022).
The 149 MW dual-fuel (Gas/HFO) power plant was inaugurated on 01 November 2018 (EB, 2018). SPL being a listed entity on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), this initiative not only contributes to Bangladesh's energy security but is also supposed to represent a strategic investment opportunity for stakeholders. The power plant was scheduled to retire on 11 July 2033 after 15 years of its operation.
Land Acquisition
The power plant is located in Kodda, Gazipur about 30 km from Dhaka city having an area of 9.5 acres (Google Earth).
Finance
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded this mega-investment project (PT, 2023).
Sponsors
The Power Plant is sponsored by ACE Alliance Power Limited, a Joint Venture Company (JVC) of Summit Power Limited (SPL) and Alliance Holdings Limited (AHL).
Contractors
The engineering and equipment (EEQ) agreement, additional advisory services for the plant’s installation, testing, and commissioning, as well as on-site staff training, were signed with Wärtsilä group (Wärtsilä, 2017).
Fuel Supply
The primary fuel of the power plant is HFO and DFG is used as secondary fuel. However, Summit Oil & Shipping Company Limited (SOSCL), a subsidiary of Summit Group supplies the necessary HFO for the power plant (SOSCL, 2022).
Power generation
The power plant uses eight Wärtsilä 50 engines and one Wärtsilä 32 engine, both of which are 18V46 engines (Wärtsilä, 2017). Commencing commercial operation in 2018, it sells electricity to BPDB only. The power plant generated 620,392,891 kWh at 47.5% PLF in FY 2022–2023 (BPDB, 2023).
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 2017 (MOEFCC 1997). But, to date, no IEE or EIA report has been conducted for the power plant.
References
DS (2017). “Summit Group signs 149MW power deals”. The Daily Star: 13 April 2017
MOEFCC 1997. The Environmental Conservation Rules. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC): 27 August 1997
MOLJPA 1995. Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act 1995. Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (MOLJPA): 16 February 1995.
PT (2023). “Power plant profile: Summit Gazipur Power Plant, Bangladesh”. The power Technology: Updated on 10 November 2023.
SOSCL (2022). Our Business: Fuel Supply. Summit Oil & Shipping Company Limited (SOSCL): undated (accessed on 15 July 2022)
SPL (2022). “Annual Report 2021-22”. Summit Power Limited (SPL): Undated; Published in 2022.
Wärtsilä (2017). Wärtsilä to supply 150 MW power plant to Bangladesh. Wärtsilä: 17 January 2017.