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    • Jan 7
    • 3 min read

Ghorashal 78 MW (Max) DFG Power Plant

Current Status: Retired

Source: Max Group 


Ghorashal 78 MW Gas Power Plant, also known as Max Ghorashal Power Plant, is a reciprocating engine power plant situated in the premises of Ghorashal Power Station under Palash Upazila in Narsingdi District of Bangladesh (Coordinate: 23.9819, 90.6408). It has been sponsored by Max Power Limited (MPL), a subsidiary of Max Group, as a Quick Rental Power Plant (QRPP) for three years. The sponsor declared its Commercial Operation Date (COD) on 27 May 2011, and, as per schedule, it was to retire on 26 May 2014. But it was retired on 8 January 2021 after 10 years of operation.


Capacity

The installed and net capacity of Max Ghorashal Gas Power Plant was 80 MW and 78.5 MW, respectively.


Context

MAX completed the entire engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) process for a simple cycle power plant, employing four TM2500 gas turbines for the initial project phase and its commercial operation started on  27 May 2011.  Following the successful completion of this phase, Max Power received a 5-year extension, and MAX handled the EPC for a new plant, utilizing two LM6000 gas turbines and achieved a Commercial Operation Date (COD) on January 9, 2016. (IEEE, 2018). Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) gave the license to Max Power Limited (MPL) to extend and generate 78.5 MW of electricity from DFG commercially on 26 April 2018  (BERC 2018). On 11 March 2021, the Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources (MOPEMR) informed the parliament that it would not extend the tenure of any rental or quick rental power plant (DT 2021).


Land Acquisition

According to Google Earth, the land area of this power plant is approx. 1.41 acres (Calculated via Google Earth).


Finance

The Funding Authority of the power is the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) (Max Group, 2018).


Sponsor

The sponsor of this powerplant is  Max Power Limited (MPL), a subsidiary of Max Group.


Contractor

MAX completed the entire engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) process (IEEE, 2018). 


Fuel Supply

No data has been found. Supposedly Petrobangla is the fuel supplier of the power plant.


Power Generation

The scheduled Commercial Operation Date (COD) of the power plant was 31 March 2011 (BPDB 2010). But it started on  27 May 2011 and till retirement, a total of 2,833.07 GWh power had been generated. 


Environment

DFG, primarily consisting of methane but possibly containing other hydrocarbons, falls under the category of fossil fuels. When used for generating electricity, it releases harmful pollutants like CO2, NOx, CO, VOCs, and PM, which can negatively impact human health and contribute to air pollution. NOx can lead to respiratory issues, CO affects oxygen circulation, Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are linked to various health concerns, and ozone formation is a possibility. Particularly, PM2.5, a type of particulate matter, poses significant health risks and has been associated with lung cancer and heart disease. The absence of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for this power plant is a matter of concern. Given the carbon emissions linked to natural gas, implementing a carbon tax is essential. Transitioning from natural gas to renewable energy sources shortly would represent a more environmentally responsible choice.


Capacity Charge

BPDB had to pay the sponsor a total of BDT 1305.71 crore capacity charge till FY 2020-2021. Total generation was 2,833.07 gWh and per unit average cost was 6.02 BDT till FY 2020-2021.



References

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