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Kutubdia 1.9 MW (BPDB) Wind Power Plant

  • Jun 25
  • 3 min read

Current Status: Inactive (Due to mechanical faults)


Kutubdia 1 MW Wind Power Plant, also known as Kutubdia Wind Mill, is a vertical turbine wind power plant situated in Tablarchar village of Ali Akbar Dale Union under Kutubdia Upazila in Cox’s Bazar District of Bangladesh (Coordinates: 21.7833, 91.8479). It is sponsored by the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) as a State-owned Power Plant (SOPP) for 25 years. The power plant's first unit (900 KW) started its commercial operation in March 2008, while the second unit (1 MW) in February 2017. As per schedule, the units will retire in March 2033 and February 2042, respectively.


Capacity

The installed (gross) capacity of the second phase, which was commissioned in 2017, is 1 MW comprising 20 turbines of 50 kW each. 


Context

The Kutubdia 1 MW Wind Power Plant project, initiated by the Bangladesh Power Development Board in 2006, aimed to assess the viability of alternative power sources. The installation was successfully completed by Pan Asia Power Service Ltd in March 2008 (TDS, 2009).


In 2008, the country's second wind power plant was established at Kutubdia. This project with a capacity of one megawatt was first installed with 50 turbines at a cost of about 12 crore BDT in a wide area next to the embankment of Tablarchar village of Ali Akbar Dale Union of the upazila. The wind project is designed to supply electricity to approximately 12,000 residents on the island. But before the project could see the light of day, the power generation was stopped due to Cyclone Aila in 2009 (TDS, 2009).


Land Acquisition

Information about acquired land for the power plant was not found.


Finance

The first phase of the 900 KW project, consisting of 50 turbines, was set up at a cost of around 12 crore BDT. No reliable information regarding the total project cost, including the second phase, could be identified from the available sources.


Sponsor

The power plant is sponsored by the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).


Contractors

In March 2008, Pan Asia Power Service Ltd completed the installation of the Kutubdia 1 MW Wind Power Plant  (TDS, 2009).


Fuel Supply

Electric power is generated by the rotation of tall tower-mounted fans, utilizing only air as fuel, without any additional fuel costs. When the wind blows, the turning of the fan produces electricity (DB, 2023).


Power Generation

The initial unit of the power plant, with a capacity of 900 KW, began commercial operations in March 2008. Subsequently, the second unit, boasting 1 MW, commenced operations in February 2017 and the plant features 50 turbines, each with a production capacity of 20 kilowatts. As of April 2026, The Daily Star confirms the 50-turbine (first-phase) Kutubdia plant is currently not operating due to mechanical faults. SREDA officials noted all government wind projects except the Cox's Bazar 60MW plant were pilot schemes that did not achieve expected results, with poor wind data matching, unsuitable design, and weak maintenance cited as causes of failure (TDS, 2026). 

   

Environment

According to Section 12 of the Bangladesh Environment Protection Act 1995, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is obligatory for any industry (MOLJPA, 1995). The polluting industries, such as power plants, have to go through an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) and EIA as directed in the Environmental Conservation Rules 1997 (MOEFCC, 1997). But unfortunately, no Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report was found. According to the environmental conservation rule 2023 the project falls in the “ Orange” indicating it as a harmful project for the environment  (MOEFCC 2023).


Criticism

The operator of the project stated that the plant was vulnerable to collapse as its protecting dam had been ruined by cyclones. The power plant was under threat as its protecting dam had been washed away by a string of cyclones that struck the project site (TDS, 2009). 


References

 
 
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