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    • Mar 29
    • 4 min read

Cox’s Bazar 60 MW (US-DK) Wind Power Plant

Current Status: Operation

Source: (DB, 2023)


Cox’s Bazar 60 MW Wind Power Plant, also known as Khurushkul Wind Power Plant or US-DK Wind Power Plant, is a horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT) run power plant situated at the southeast of Moheshkhali River in Khurushkul, PM Khali, Chowfaldandi and Pokkhali Union under Cox’s Bazar Sadar Upazila in Cox’s Bazar District of Bangladesh (Location: 21.5087, 92.0047). It is to be operated by US-DK Green Energy (Bangladesh) Limited, a joint venture company (JVC) of Taylor Engineering Group, PH Consulting Group, and Multiplex Green Energy Limited, as a private Independent Power Producer for 20 years. The power plant started its commercial operation on 12 October 2023 and according to the schedule, it is supposed to retire on 11 October 2044. 


Capacity

The installed (gross) and derated (net) capacity of the power plant is 66 MW and 60 MW respectively.


Context

The Cox's Bazar Wind Power Plant, boasting a 60-megawatt capacity, stands as the foremost wind energy project in the nation. Developed by the private firm US-DK Green Energy (BD) Limited, the facility is set to supply electricity to the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) serving as the governmental entity responsible for purchasing the generated power (TC, 2023). According to the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) signed on 15 May 2014, the Commercial Operation Date (COD) of the power plant is scheduled as 31 December 2022 (BPDB 2022). But later it was delayed to 2023.


BPDB signed a contract in March 2015 for the wind power project to US-DK Green Energy (BD), a joint venture between Taylor Engineering Group of USA, the ph-consulting group of Denmark, and Multiplex Green Energy of Bangladesh to set up the plant (NA, 2022).

The implementation of this project will include installing a collective 22 wind turbines, each with a power-generating capacity of 3 megawatts (MW). The power plant will host up to 22 turbines for power generation. Each turbine is designed to stand at a height of 110 meters, with blades spanning 60 meters, while the tower itself reaches a height of 90 meters. On May 25, 2023, the facility was linked to the national grid, and by May 26, it commenced enhancing the country's total electricity provision via the national grid. During June 2023, the initiative added 27 lakh kilowatt hours of electricity to the national grid. The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) is set to procure electricity from the facility for 20 years at a rate of $0.12 per unit. When fully operational, the project is anticipated to have the capacity to generate 145,600 megawatts of power annually (TC, 2023).


Land Acquisition

Information about acquired land for the power plant was not found. Approximately the area covers 1.66 acres calculated from Google Earth.


Finance

The Power Plant carries an estimated budget of BDT 900 crore or USD 120 million (EP, 2022). Hei Zhao (Brett), the Deputy Managing Director of the Cox's Bazar 60 MW Wind Power Plant Project, stated that an investment of $116.51 million has been made by US-DK Green Energy (BD) Limited for the development of this power plant (TBS, 2023).


Sponsor

US-DK Green Energy BD Ltd, a private company, is implementing the project with funding from the Chinese company SPIC Wuiling Power Corporation (Chowdhury, J. & Sajid, E., 2022).

 

Contractors

Wuling Power is anticipated to provide engineering, procurement, and construction services for the wind power project, while Envision Energy will serve as the turbine supplier. The project encompasses a total of 22 turbines (PT, 2023).


Fuel Supply

Electric power is produced by the rotation of large fans situated on tall towers. This method of power generation incurs no additional fuel costs; only air serves as the necessary fuel. When there is wind, the fan turns, resulting in the generation of electricity (DB, 2023).


Power Generation

When operating at full capacity, the project is expected to generate an annual power output of 145,600 megawatts (TC, 2023). The wind power project aims to harness 60 MW of electricity through the installation of a total of 22 turbines, each generating 3 MW. Currently, 10 turbines have been successfully installed (PA, 2023). 


Environment

Once the project is in full operation, it is expected to annually generate 145,600 megawatts of power. This is projected to result in a reduction of 109,200 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), 25.15 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2), and 50.69 tons of nitric oxide (NO) emissions. Moreover, it is anticipated to decrease annual coal consumption by 44,600 tons (TC, 2023).


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). Unfortunately, no Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report was found. 


Criticism

During the construction of the power plant, there appears to be a lack of clarity regarding the potential environmental impact on the surrounding area. Unfortunately, no Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report was found, raising concerns about the project's transparency and adherence to environmental regulations. The commercial operation date is stated differently in various sources. The exact date is conflicting.


References


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