Current Status: Operation
(Source: TSK)
Ashuganj 50 MW Gas Power Plant, also known as APSCL 50 MW Power Plant, is a Gas Turbine (GT) power plant situated within Ashuganj Power Station Complex in Sonaram under Ashuganj Upazila in Brahmanbaria District of Bangladesh (Location: 24.0433, 91.0149). It is sponsored by Ashuganj Power Station Company Limited (APSCL), a State-owned Enterprise (SOE) under Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), as a publicly owned Independent Power Producer (IPP) for 25 years. The sponsor declared its Commercial Operation Date (COD) on 30 April 2011 and, according to schedule, it is to retire on 29 April 2036.
Capacity
The installed (gross) and derated (net) capacity of the power plant is 55.55 MW and 45 MW respectively.
Context
In 2010, the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) Ashuganj Power Station Company Ltd signed with the M/S TSK company of Spain to meet the extra electricity demand. It started its commercial operation at 53 MW load on 30 April 2011 (PGDP, 2012). APSCL has utilized its funds to establish a gas engine power plant at a cost of Tk. 3,500 million. This power plant can generate 53MW of electricity. Over the mentioned period, it produced 190 million kWh of electricity, resulting in a revenue of Tk 440 million from sales.
The fuel expenses for operating this plant during this period amounted to Tk. 225 million. The plant's operational efficiency is 40.44% as per its plant load factor, while it maintained a plant availability factor of 99.64%. The efficiency of the plant itself stands at 39.63%.
The established tariff rate for the power generated from this plant is an average of Tk. 1.87. Throughout the reporting period, the power plant operated for a total of 8,583 hours (APSCL Annual Report, 2020-2021). According to APSCL, the newly constructed gas engine power plant spans an area of 0.00908 square kilometers and is equipped with 16 generating units. Each unit can generate 3.332 megawatts of electricity, resulting in a total combined output of 53.312 MW. Out of this capacity, 50 MW will be consistently channeled into the national grid, while the remaining 3.312 MW will serve as surplus energy for internal plant operation (The Daily Star, 2011).
Land Acquisition
Estimating from Google Earth Pro the plant covers about 2.244 acres.
Finance
The estimated budget of the project is around Tk 306 crore which was financed with its own 48.95 crore fund, arranged by APSCL and Standard Chartered Bank.
Sponsor
This powerplant was developed with the funding of APSCL which was arranged by Standard Chartered Bank.
Contractors
TSK Group, a Spanish company, entered into a contract with APSCL as an EPC contractor on July 25 of the previous year and commenced operations on April 30, 2011. The construction of the plant was successfully finalized within 210 days as per the agreed timeline. The contracted company is committed to providing a warranty service for one and a half years. Austria's GE Gen Backer Company was responsible for supplying all engines, while additional equipment was sourced from Spain and Germany. The project involved collaborative efforts from engineers hailing from Austria, Spain, Germany, and Bangladesh, all contributing to establishing the new plant.
Fuel Supply
Natural Gas has been used to operate this powerplant. APSCL worked on it to arrange the fuel from its responsibility.
Power Generation
The expected power generation capacity was 50 MW, and after the construction, the power generation capacity was up to 53 MW.
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.
Criticism
While gas-based power plants produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to coal-fired power plants, they still release carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) into the atmosphere, both of which are potent greenhouse gases and harmful to the environment.
References
PGDP (2012).Power Generation Development Plan-2012.2012.
The Daily Star(2011).50MW power plant opens at Ashuganj. The Daily Star, April,2011.
APSCL Annual Report (2020-2021). Ashugonj Power Station Company LTD. Annual Report.2020-20
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