Current Status: Retired
Source: Power Progress
Ghorashal 145 MW Dual Fuel Power Plant, also known as Aggreko Ghorashal Power Plant or Ghorashal Quick Rental Power Plant, is situated at Ghorashal Power Station premises under Palash Upazila in Narsingdi District of Bangladesh (Location: 23.9851, 90.6402). It is sponsored by Aggreko Power Solutions Limited (APSBL), a subsidiary of Aggreko International Limited (AIL), as a Quick Rental Power Plant (QRPP) for three years. The sponsor declared its Commercial Operation Date (COD) on 23 August 2010 and, as per schedule, the power plant was to retire on 22 August 2013. But, after 5 years of extension, the power plant was phased out in 2018.
Capacity
The installed (gross) capacity of the power plant is 145 MW.
Context
The sponsor officially announced the Commercial Operation Date (COD) on 23 August 2010; originally, the power plant was supposed to cease operations on 22 August 2013. The contract period was extended to 2015 as part of the arrangement, and its value was raised by about $100 million (Palmer, 2012). However, it was ultimately retired in 2018, following a 5-year extension period. On 25 January 2012, the government entered into a contract amendment with a British rental power company called Aggreko to transform their 145-megawatt diesel-powered plant into one that operates on natural gas (Daily Star, 2012). Aggreko and the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) have decided to replace the current 145 MW temporary power plant at Ghorashal with a natural gas-powered unit.
Sponsor
It is sponsored by Aggreko Power Solutions Limited (APSBL), a subsidiary of Aggreko International Limited (AIL) (Aggreko 2023).
Finance
Aggreko converted its 145 MW diesel temporary power plant in Ghorashal, Bangladesh into a natural gas plant. The change agreed upon with the client Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), extended the contract period to 2015, and increased its value by USD 100 million (BDT 1,100.7 crores as of 5 October 2023) ( (Pollok, 2011).
As a result of this conversion, the government avoided importing diesel for the Ghorashal plant, which began operating in August 2010. This saved the government between BDT 1,100 and BDT 1,200 billion annually. Officials from PDB and Aggreko signed an amendment on January 25, 2012. The electricity rate, which is BDT 4.80 per kilowatt-hour after deducting the cost of fuel, stays the same under the modification. (Daily Star, 2012).
Power Generation
Total power generation from 2010-11 to 2017-18 was 7,003.79 gWh.
Capacity Charge
Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) had to pay the sponsor BDT 2,502.05 crore as a daily capacity charge till 2017-2018. The average unit cost is BDT 6.73 and the total cost of the power plant is around BDT 4586.82 crore.
Year | Generation (GWh) | Total Cost (crore BDT) | Unit Cost (avg BDT) | Capacity (crore BDT) |
FY 2017-2018 | 510.06 | 222.42 | 4.36 | 155.20 |
FY 2016- 2017 | 996.64 | 348.71 | 3.5 | 229.30 |
FY 2015-2016 | 1019.97 | 348.46 | 3.42 | 225.18 |
FY 2014-2015 | 1018.72 | 572.84 | 5.62 | 453.74 |
FY 2013-2014 | 948.55 | 564.32 | 5.95 | 446.91 |
FY 2012-2013 | 884.43 | 523.16 | 5.92 | 419.38 |
FY 2011-2012 | 876.05 | 890.50 | 10.16 | 345.65 |
FY 2010-2011 | 749.38 | 1116.41 | 14.90 | 226.69 |
Total | 7003.80 | 4586.82 | 6.73 | 2502.0 |
References
Aggreko (2023). “Aggreko”. Aggreko Infrastructure Limited (AIL): Accessed on: 27 December 2023
Palmer M. (2012). “Aggreko swaps diesel for gas in Bangladesh”. Utilities Middle East (UME): 10 January 2012.
Pollok M. (2011). “Aggreko switches Bangladesh plant to natural gas”. KHL Group: 19 December 2011.
TDS (2012). ”Aggreko to run its power plant on gas”. The Daily Star (TDS): 26 January 2012.