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 December 31, 1994 (RPCL, 2023). The Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) was signed on April 21, 2019, with the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB). Additionally, the fuel supply agreement was signed on March 29, 2019, with the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC).
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 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 been 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, with a capacity of 105 MW, has a maximum capacity of 106.56 MW and an average output of 47.8 MW (RPCL, 2021), using Wartsila's advanced W18V50 engine model and Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) as its primary energy source. Commencing commercial operation in 2019, it sells electricity to BPDB only (RPCL, 2019). The power plant generated 583,363,652 kWh at 63.4% PLF in FY 2022–2023 (BPDB, 2023).
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. 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.
References
RPCL (2019). “Gazipur 105 MW HFO Fired Power Plant”. Rural Power Company Limited (RPCL): Updated on 21 August 2019.
RPCL (2021). ”Generation report: Gazipur 105 MW Power Plant”. Rural Power Company Limited (RPCL): Updated on 17 August 2021.
BPDB (2023). “Daily Generation Data Sheet”. Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB): Accessed 21 November 2023
RPCL (2023). “At a glance”. Rural Power Company Limited (RPCL): Updated on 10 August 2023.
MOEFCC 1997. The Environmental Conservation Rules. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC): 27 August 1997
MOLJPA 1995. Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act 1995. Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (MOLJPA): 16 February 1995.