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Matarbari 600 MW (CPGCBL-Mitsui) LNG Power Plant

  • Jun 23
  • 3 min read

Current Status: Cancelled

Representational Photo: (Dhaka Tribune)


Matarbari 600 MW Power Plant, is a cancelled power plant situated in Dhalghata and Matarbari Union in Maheshkhali Upazila, Cox's Bazar District, Bangladesh (Location: 21.72808, 91.88958) probable. It has been sponsored by a joint venture of Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Limited (CPGCBL) and Mitsui & Co. Ltd, Japan  with 50% share each. The power plant was scheduled to be in commercial operation in June 2028. However, the project was subsequently cancelled and did not proceed to implementation.


Capacity

The installed capacity of the power plant will be between 587 MW.


Context

Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Limited (CPGCBL) and Japanese firm Mitsui & Company Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 8 November 2017 to build a 500-600 MW combined cycle LNG-based power plant in Matarbari, Cox's Bazar (Rasel, 2017). The joint venture would be a 50-50 partnership between the two companies, and they aim to finalize the project by the year 2021 (TDS, 2017).


On 7 February 2019, CPGCBL signed an agreement with Environmental Resource Management (ERM), Japan, to conduct the project's Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA). Tokyo Electric Power Services Company Limited (TEPSCO) bagged the consultancy for a feasibility study on 27 February 2019. TEPSCO (Tokyo Electric Power Services Company Limited) is a subsidiary of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), Japan's largest electricity utility. TEPSCO provides engineering and consultancy services internationally. Its selection for the Matarbari LNG feasibility study is confirmed by CPGCBL's annual report and GEM sources. As of December 2025, GEM Wiki classifies this as a 'cancelled power station', with no evidence of further ESIA completion, financial advisory appointment, or EPC contracting since 2021 (GEM, 2025). 


Land Acquisition

No information has been disclosed  regarding the land acquisition of the power plant.


Finance

The JV partner Mitsui would help obtain 70–80% of the investment from Japan for the project, at a total investment of approximately USD 600 million (NA, 2017). CPGCBL had purchased land for the power plant by end of 2019, contradicting the claim that no land information is available. The total estimated project cost is approximately USD 2.8 billion for the power plant plus USD 1.6 billion for land development infrastructure (GEM, 2025). 

 

Sponsor

The power plant is sponsored by a joint venture of Coal Power Generation Company Bangladesh Limited (CPGCBL) and Mitsui & Co. Ltd, Japan  with 50% share each.


Contractors

Mitsui and Company Private Limited (Japan) will work as the contractor of the power plant.


Fuel Supply

Imported Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) will be used as the fuel of the power plant.


Power Generation

The plant did not generate any energy yet.


Environment

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is a fossil fuel primarily composed of methane, with the potential inclusion of other hydrocarbons. When utilized for power generation, it emits various harmful pollutants into the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulate matter (PM). These emissions pose risks to human health and contribute to air pollution. According to Section 12 of the 1995 Bangladesh Environment Protection Act, industrial facilities, including those causing pollution like power plants, are mandated to undergo both an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) and an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), as outlined in the 1997 Environmental Conservation Rules (MOLJPA 1995; MOEFCC, 1997). As of 2021, an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) study was in progress for this power plant. Given its fossil fuel nature (LNG), the carbon emissions need consideration, and implementing a carbon tax is advisable. Transitioning from LNG to renewable energy is recommended for a more sustainable approach. 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

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