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Barishal 110 MW (Summit) HFO Power Plant

  • Jun 23
  • 4 min read

Current Status: Operation


Barisal 110 MW Furnace Oil Power Plant, also known as Summit Barisal Power Plant, is a reciprocating engine-based power plant situated on Rupatoli Gas Turbine Road Road of Rupatali in Barisal City Corporation of Bangladesh (Location: 22.6592, 90.3359). It has been sponsored by Summit Barisal Power Limited (SBPL), a subsidiary of Summit Group, as a private Independent Power Producer (IPP) for 15 years. The sponsor declared its Commercial Operation Date (COD) on 5 April 2016, and, as per schedule, the power plant will retire on 4 April 2031(Summit AR,2024-25,).


Capacity

The installed (gross) and derated (net) capacity of the power plant is 119.53 MW and 110 MW, respectively.


Context

The project is located at 25 No Ward, Rupatali, Barisal City Corporation, Barisal. The proposed power plant would be mostly situated in Rupatali, Barisal, while some land has fallen under the authority of the Nalchity Upazilla in Bangladesh's Jhalokati District of Barisal.


The project is spearheaded by SBPL Summit Barisal Power Limited, a special purpose vehicle of the renowned Summit Group through a biding process. The project got its financial backing from Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL).  IDCOL granted a term loan facility of USD 30 million. IDCOL has managed the finance from Public-Private Infrastructure Development Facility (PPIDF) 2 of Asian Development Bank (ADB).


The 110 MW power plant utilised heavy fuel oil (HFO) as its primary fuel source. The generated electricity from the project will be sold to Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) under a 15-year Power Purchase Agreement. The area was plagued with frequent power shortages and disruptions. The plant is connected to the PDB 132 KV Substation, which is close by. The plant will use this substation to transfer its power to the larger Barisal area. Seven (6) Wartsila-made 18V46 reciprocating type heavy fuel engines are part of the project (IDCOL, 2016). 


According to Summit report the project generated significant employment opportunities for local residents, fostering economic growth and improving livelihoods in the community. But generally power plants do not appoint the employment opportunities to the local people. 


Finance

Summit Power International Limited, the project developer, approached Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) and other lenders for financial assistance. IDCOL stepped forward to provide a term loan facility of USD 30 million. IDCOL's involvement in the project extended beyond mere financial support. The company utilised its expertise in infrastructure finance to source the required financing from the Ordinary Capital Resources (OCR) fund allocated for large infrastructure projects under the Public-Private Infrastructure Development Facility (PPIDF)-2 of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).  (IDCOL, 2016).


Fuel Supply

Summit Oil & Shipping Company Limited (SOSCL), a subsidiary of Summit Group, supplies necessary HFO for the power plant (SOSCL 2022). 


Power Generation

The project comprised seven Wartsila-made 18V46 reciprocating type heavy fuel engines, each capable of generating 18 MW of power. These engines operated efficiently and reliably, ensuring a consistent supply of electricity to the surrounding areas. The plant connected to the nearby 132 kV substation of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), enabling the seamless transfer of generated electricity to the national grid.


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). Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) conducted the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Report for the power plant. According to the Annual Environmental and Social Compliance Audit Report by Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL), the project has been classified as a Red Category project under the Environmental Conservation Rules (ECR) 1997 of Bangladesh, indicating the potential for significant environmental impacts.  The framework for social and environmental safeguards (ESSF) indicates that the SBPL project appears to be a High Risk project needing a thorough environmental impact study. The plant has a radiator cooling system which eliminated the need for extracting cooling water from surface sources. This has claimly reduced the water pollution impact from the power plant. The stack height was designed at 50 metres to ensure effective dispersion of emissions   (IDCOL, 2016). 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).


Criticism

The Barishal 110 MW Summit HFO Power Plant demonstrates very low operational utilization, with an availability of approximately 46% (From July 1,2025-June 19,2026). The large gap between available capacity and actual generation indicates that the plant is significantly underutilized. As an HFO-based facility, low dispatch results in inefficient use of installed infrastructure while the plant continues to carry environmental impacts associated with fossil fuel combustion. The generation pattern suggests dependence on occasional peak demand support rather than continuous electricity supply. 


References

 
 
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