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Gazipur 105 MW (RPCL) HFO Power Plant

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Current Status: Operation

Source: RPCL


Gazipur 105 MW Furnace Oil Power Plant, also known as Kodda RPCL Power Plant, is a reciprocating engine-based power plant situated in Kodda under Gazipur Sadar in Gazipur District of Bangladesh (Location: 23.9910, 90.3442). It is sponsored by  Rural Power Company Limited (RPCL), a State-owned Enterprise (SOE) under the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB), as a Public Power Plant (PPP) for 20 years. The power plant started its commercial operation on 25 May 2009, and, as per schedule, it will retire on 24 May 2029.


Capacity

The installed (gross) and derated (net) capacity of the power plant is 110.15 MW and 105 MW, respectively.


Context

Rural Power Company Limited (RPCL) was established as a Public Limited Company on 31 December 1994 (RPCL, 2023). On 27 June 2012, RPCL and BPDB signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the 52 MW Dual Fuel Power Station; the PPA was later updated on 24 September 2013 (ETBD, 2024). The April 2019 date in the document refers to a separate RPCL Annual Report citation, not the original PPA signing. The fuel supply agreement with BPC (March 2019) is a renewal contract, as the plant commenced commercial operation on 25 May 2009.


The project received financing from Rural Power Company Ltd. and Agrani Bank Ltd. The power plant had a generation capacity of 105 MW through six units of Wartsila's W18V50 engines, manufactured in Finland. As per schedule, the power plant is committed to retiring in 2038, supplying power for the next 20 years.



Land acquisition

The RPCL Gazipur 105 MW power plant covers approximately 4.67 acres (according to Google Earth) of the complex's total 60 acres, which involves one 132/33 kV substation and three power plants. 


Finance

The Gazipur 105 MW HFO Fired Power Plant, costing USD 64,367,098 and BDT 7,112,564,329 (1 USD = BDT 110.50 according to 22 November 2023), is a significant energy initiative in Bangladesh. Financing is facilitated by Rural Power Company Ltd. and Agrani Bank Ltd., a prominent financial institution  (RPCL, 2019).


Sponsor

The power plant was sponsored by Rural Power Company Limited (RPCL), a State-owned Enterprise (SOE) under the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB), as a Public Power Plant (PPP) for 20 years. 


Contractors

Not sufficient data about the contractors involved in this power plant have found.


Fuel Supply

On March 29, 2019, the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) and the plant inked a fuel supply agreement that guarantees a consistent supply of Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) for the plant's operations. 


Power Generation

The power plant has an installed capacity of 106.56 MW and a net capacity of 105 MW, with an average output of 47.8 MW (RPCL, 2021), using Wärtsilä's W18V50 engine an 18-cylinder, V-type engine with a 500 mm bore, 580 mm stroke, and operating speed of 500 rpm (ResearchGate, 2022). Commercial operation commenced on 25 May 2009, with electricity sold exclusively to BPDB (RPCL, 2019).


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 1997 (superseded by ECR 2023) (MOEFCC 1997). But, to date, no IEE or EIA report has been conducted for the power plant. Besides HFO combustion emits pollutants such as sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), and carbon dioxide (CO2). These pollutants contribute to smog formation, acid rain, and greenhouse gas emissions, which can exacerbate climate change and have adverse health effects on humans and wildlife. 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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