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Ashuganj 50 MW (APSCL) DFG Power Plant

  • 5 days ago
  • 3 min read

Current Status: Operation

(Source: TSK)


Ashuganj 50 MW Gas Power Plant, also known as APSCL 50 MW Power Plant, is a Gas Turbine (GT) power plant situated within Ashuganj Power Station Complex in Sonaram under Ashuganj Upazila in Brahmanbaria District of Bangladesh (Location: 24.0433, 91.0149). It is sponsored by Ashuganj Power Station Company Limited (APSCL), a State-owned Enterprise (SOE) under Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), as a publicly owned Independent Power Producer (IPP) for 25 years. The power plant commenced commercial operation on 17 March 2012 and has since been supplying electricity to the national grid (APSCL, 2024-2025) . According to schedule, it will  retire on 29 April 2036.


Capacity

The installed (gross) and derated (net) capacity of the power plant is 53.60MW and 43.70 MW respectively (APSCL, 2024-2025).


Context

In 2010, the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) Ashuganj Power Station Company Ltd  signed with the M/S TSK company of Spain to meet the extra demand for electricity. It started its commercial operation at 53.60 MW load on 17 March, 2012. APSCL has utilized its own funds to establish a gas engine power plant at a cost of Tk. 3,530 million. This power plant has a capacity to generate 53.60 MW of electricity. During the reporting period, the plant generated 278.93 million kWh of net electricity and the electricity generated by the plant earned Tk. 1,521.19 million in sales revenue. 

The fuel cost of the plant amounted to Tk. 1,183.61 million during the reporting period. The plant achieved a plant factor of 61.16%, an availability factor of 100%, and a plant efficiency of 38.29%. The facility operated for a total of 8,619 hours during the reporting period (APSCL, 2024-2025). The established tariff rate for the power generated from this plant is an average of Tk. 1.87. According to APSCL, the newly constructed gas engine power plant spans an area of  0.00908 square kilometers and is equipped with 16 generating units. Each unit has the capacity to generate 3.332 megawatts of electricity, resulting in a total combined output of 53.312 MW. Out of this capacity, 50 MW will be consistently channeled into the national grid, while the remaining 3.312 MW will serve as surplus energy for internal plant operation  (The Daily Star, 2011).


Land Acquisition

Estimated from Google Earth Pro the plant covers about 2.244 acres.


Finance

The total project cost was approximately BDT 353 crore, which was financed by Ashuganj Power Station Company Limited through its own funds (APSCL, 2024-2025) .


Sponsor

The project was financed entirely by APSCL without external government financing (APSCL, 2024-2025) . 


Contractors

TSK Group, a Spanish company, entered into a contract with APSCL as an EPC contractor  on July 25 of the previous year and commenced operations on  April 30, 2011. The construction of the plant was successfully finalized within a span of 210 days as per the agreed timeline. The contracted company is committed to providing a warranty service for a duration of one and a half years. Austria's GE Gen Backer Company was responsible for supplying all engines, while additional equipment was sourced from Spain and Germany. The project involved collaborative efforts from engineers hailing from Austria, Spain, Germany, and Bangladesh, all contributing to establishing the new plant.


Fuel Supply

Natural Gas has been used to operate this powerplant.  APSCL worked on it to arrange the fuel from its own responsibility.


Power Generation

The Power Plant generated 278.93 million kWh of net electricity during the reporting period (APSCL, 2024-2025). 


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. 


Criticism

While gas-based power plants produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to coal-fired power plants, they still release carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) into the atmosphere, both of which are potent greenhouse gases and harmful to the environment. According to the environmental conservation rule 2023 the project falls in the “Orange” indicating it as a moderate harmful project for the environment (MOEFCC 2023).



 References

 
 
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