Brahmanbaria 80 MW (Aggreko) DFG Power Plant
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Current Status: Retired
(Source: Google Maps)
Brahmanbaria 80 MW Gas Power Plant, also known as Aggreko Brahmanbaria Power Plant (Unit 2) or Aggreko Ashuganj Rental Power Plant, is a reciprocating engine-based power plant situated under Ashuganj Upazila in Brahmanbaria District of Bangladesh (Location: 23.9993, 91.1051) but changed its location in Bhola later (Location: 22.4782, 90.7128). It had been sponsored by Aggreko Power Solutions Limited (APSL), a subsidiary of Aggreko International, as a Quick Rental Power Plant (QRPP) for three years. The sponsor declared its Commercial Operation Date (COD) on 31 May 2011, and, as per schedule, it was to retire on 30 May 2014 but retired in November 2016 and shifted to Bhola. (Daily Sun, 2017)
Capacity
Initially, the net capacity of the power plant was 80 MW. In 2014 but later Aggreko updated the capacity to 95 MW.
Context
The Power Development Board (PDB) entered into an agreement with the British company Aggreko for an 80 MW plant in Brahmanbaria, with the contract initiated in October 2010 and the plant scheduled for commencement in February 2011 (Daily Star, 2010). As per the Power Ministry proposal, the capacity of the 80 MW plant at Ashuganj was increased by 95 MW for four years under the main contract (DT, 2014).
In 2017, Aggreko International Projects Ltd, a company based in the UK, suggested the relocation of its 95 MW Ashuganj Power Project to Bhola, with the possibility of negotiating the tariff under the Special Power and Energy Act retiring in November 2016 (Daily Sun, 2017). On September 6, 2017, a cabinet committee granted approval for eight projects, including the transfer of a 95-megawatt (MW) gas-fired power plant from Ashuganj to Bhola, which was proposed by M/S Aggreko International Projects Ltd (FE Report, 2017).
Land Acquisition
The land area of this power plant is approx. 3.7 acres in Bhola (Calculated via Google Earth)
Finance
No data of financial investment was found. The power subsidy was BDT 6,000 crore in the first 3 years but it was increased to BDT 7,000 crore (DT, 2014).
Sponsor
It was sponsored by Aggreko Power Solutions Limited (APSL), a subsidiary of Aggreko International.
Contractor
No data has been found.
Fuel Supply
No data has been found. Supposedly Petrobangla is the fuel supplier of this power plant.
Power Generation
The scheduled Commercial Operation Date (COD) of the power plant was 30 April 2011 (BPDB 2010). But the sponsor declared its Commercial Operation Date (COD) on 31 May 2011 and till retirement a total of 3,865.70 gWh of power had been generated.
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 2017 (MOEFCC,1997). DFG, which primarily consists of methane but may include other hydrocarbons, falls into the fossil fuel category. When utilized for electricity generation, it releases harmful pollutants such as CO2, NOx, CO, VOCs, and PM, which can have adverse effects on human health and contribute to air pollution. NOx can lead to respiratory problems, CO hinders oxygen circulation, VOCs are associated with various health issues, and ozone formation is a potential concern. Notably, PM2.5, a type of fine particulate matter, poses significant health hazards and has been linked to lung cancer and heart disease. The absence of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for this power plant is a cause for concern. It is imperative to implement a carbon tax considering the carbon emissions associated with natural gas. Transitioning from natural gas to renewable energy sources in the near future would represent a more environmentally responsible decision. 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).
Capacity Charge
BPDB had to pay the sponsor a total of BDT 1,299.50 crore capacity charge till FY 2018-2019. Total generation was 3865.70 gWh and per unit average cost was 4.45 BDT until FY 2018-2019. Total cost of the power till FY 2018-2019 is BDT 1786.46 crore.
Year | Generation (gWh) | Total Cost (crore BDT) | Unit Cost (avg BDT) | Capacity (crore BDT) |
FY 2018-2019 | 633.94 | 225.10 | 3.55 | 143.93 |
FY 2017-2018 | 176.21 | 62.30 | 3.54 | 34.36 |
FY 2016- 2017 | 180.23 | 66.76 | 3.7 | 41.28 |
FY 2015-2016 | 484.38 | 213.58 | 4.41 | 146.08 |
FY 2014-2015 | 664.10 | 319.51 | 4.81 | 240.82 |
FY 2013-2014 | 552.46 | 249.20 | 4.51 | 190.09 |
FY 2012-2013 | 483.92 | 288.16 | 5.95 | 231.91 |
FY 2011-2012 | 628.51 | 335.76 | 5.34 | 252.30 |
FY 2010-2011 | 61.95 | 26.09 | 4.21 | 18.74 |
Total | 3865.70 | 1786.46 | 4.45 | 1299.51 |
References
BPDB (2010). “Annual Report 2009-2010”. Bangladesh Power Development Board: 1 August 2010
Daily Star (2010). “PDB goes for rental deal with Aggreko”. Daily Star: 11 October, 2010.
DT (2014). “Government approves Tk2.5m tariff discount for two rental plants”. Dhaka Tribune: 15 June, 2014.
Daily Sun (2017),. “Aggreko wants relocation of its Ashuganj rental plant”. Daily Sun: 13 January, 2017.
FE Report (2017). “Cabinet okays wheat purchase from Russia: Approves eight projects valued at Tk 4.29b”. The Financial Express: 8 September 2017.
MOEFCC (1997). ‘The Environmental Conservation Rules’. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC): 27 August 1997.
MOEFCC (2023). “The Environmental Conservation Rules”. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC): 5 March 2023.
MOLJPA (1995). ‘Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act 1995’. Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (MOLJPA): 16 February, 1995