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Jan 134 min read

Lalmonirhat 30 MW (Intraco) Solar Power Plant

Current Status: Operation

Source: (DB 2023)


Lalmonirhat 30 MW Solar Power Plant, also known as Intraco Lalmonirhat Solar Park, is a solar Photovoltaic (PV) power plant situated in Dakshin Bhotmarir Char of Bhotmari Union under Kaliganj Upazila in Lalmonirhat District of Bangladesh (Coordinates: 25.9978, 89.1524). It is sponsored by Intraco Solar Power Limited (ISPL), a Joint Venture Company (JVC) of Paramount Group, as a private Independent Power Producer (IPP) for 20 years. The power plant started its test run on 23 August 2022 and commercial operation on 28 August 2022. As per schedule, it will retire on 27 August 2042.


Capacity

The installed (gross) and derated (net) capacity of the power plant is 43 MW and 30 MW, respectively.


Context

On 27 August 2017, Intraco Solar Power Ltd (ISPL) finalized deals with two government entities to establish a solar power facility and deliver 30 megawatts of electricity to the national power grid (DS 2017). The power plant belongs to Intraco Solar Power Ltd. (ISPL), a subsidiary of Paramount Textile Ltd. (PTL), a publicly listed company primarily engaged in textile manufacturing. PTL has recently expanded its investment scope by diversifying its portfolio.


Intraco Solar Power Limited purchased about 300 acres of land in Gangachara Upazila for the project during that period. But unfortunately, the entire land was lost in the river due to the erosion of the Teesta. Later, when Intraco Solar Power Limited applied to the government to change the location of the project in 2018, a high-level delegation of the government inspected the site and approved the current location of the project in Shaulmari village of Kaliganj upazila of Lalmonirhat district (AS 2021). After that Intraco Solar Power Limited project area land use trade license from the local union council and no objection for land use and power station approval was obtained from the office of the district commissioner (PVM 2022).


According to the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) signed on 27 August 2017, the power plant's Commercial Operation Date (COD) was scheduled for 26 June 2022. But it has been delayed and rescheduled to 26 August 2022 (BPDB 2022). The government has agreed to purchase electricity under the condition of a "no electricity no payment basis" spanning a period of up to 20 years, at a rate of $0.16 per kilowatt-hour. To fulfill its social responsibility within the project vicinity, Intraco Solar Power Limited extends power lines to serve the local public and supplies electricity to select households. Moreover, within the project area, the company constructs a 1.70-kilometer road to facilitate movement for hundreds of thousands of students and around 15 thousand marginalized individuals living in remote grasslands.


Construction that commenced in 2020 is scheduled for completion by 2022. Social Welfare Minister Nuruzzaman Ahmed officially inaugurated the solar power plant on August 28 of that same year. Following the inauguration, Intraco Solar has consistently supplied uninterrupted power. Prior to this project, Intraco initiated the establishment of a plant in the Gangachara upazila of Rangpur. However, due to flood and river erosion, the initially chosen char (riverine island) faced damage during that period. Consequently, Intraco opted for the Shaulmari char in Kaliganj as an alternative location. The plant was initiated on a total area of 115.02 acres, comprising 52.02 acres of government land and an additional 63 acres acquired from different private landowners. Throughout this period, Intraco undertook various initiatives, including river management efforts. They also developed essential infrastructure, such as constructing roads and buildings, within the designated area (DB,2023).


Land Acquisition

63 acres is the actual area of this power plant though the company covered a large area to establish this power plant. The company has variously claimed 120 acres of land, but local people say that at least 200 acres of land has been surrounded there. These lands are privately owned as well as government land. Several signboards have been installed in the project area surrounded by barbed wire. It is written, "Intraco Solar Power Limited is the owner of this land according to Binasutra".


Finance

Funding for the project is sourced from the Infrastructure Development Company in Dhaka alongside contributions from local banks. Paramount Bitrac Energy Limited bought  80 percent share for around BDT 60 crore.


Sponsor

It is sponsored by Intraco Solar Power Limited (ISPL). 80 percent of shares of Intraco have been bought by Paramount Bitrac Energy Limited. They were doing the construction of this solar power plant on behalf of Intraco.


Contractor

Paramount Bitrac Energy Limited has taken the responsibility to establish this power plant and they also bought 80 percent share of this power plant. 


Environment

Though this power plant will emit low carbon, there has been a lot of news that the construction of this power plant damaged the environment a lot. Many agricultural lands have been destroyed to establish this power plant. A two-kilometer long and 50 feet wide road is being constructed along the banks of the river for transportation that may damage the water flow of the river.


Criticism

Intraco Solar is facing allegations of encroaching on farmers' land and causing detrimental effects to the Teesta River. Their solar power project involves constructing a 50-feet wide and two-kilometer-long road along the riverbanks. The unregulated construction of this road has nearly blocked the left bank channel of the Teesta. According to the Water Development Board, this unplanned road development will result in resource depletion, including increased river erosion. River experts have labeled this as 'Teesta's devastation' and have urgently demanded an immediate halt to these activities. The people of the village have been cultivating that pasture across the river for generations. But suddenly their land was surrounded by barbed wire. They have not even one percent of land left for cultivation. The construction of the road within the Bamti channel for the solar power project will create blockages in the water flow, leading to significant disruptions. This obstruction is anticipated to result in widespread damage across different areas, notably impacting the right bank of the region  (Jugantor, 2021).


Reference

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