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    • Jun 9
    • 3 min read

Bibiyana 383 MW (BPDB) DFG Power Plant (South)

Current Status: Operation

Source: (ENR)


Bibiyana 383 MW Gas Power Plant (South), also known as Bibiyana South Power Station, is a Combined Cycle (CC) power plant situated in Bibiyana under Nabiganj Upazilla in Habiganj District of Bangladesh (Location: 24.6345, 91.6609). It is sponsored by Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) as a State-owned Power Plant (SOPP) for 25 years. The power plant started its commercial operation on 28 January 2021 and, as per schedule, it will retire on 27 January 2046. 


Capacity

The installed (gross) and derated (net) capacity of the power plant is 410 MW and 400 MW respectively.


Context

In 2014, The Power Development Board (PDB) entered into an agreement with a collaborative partnership between Isolux Ingenieria, headquartered in Spain, and Samsung C&T Corporation from Korea to establish the Bibiyana South combined cycle power plant project, which generates a capacity of 400 megawatts.


Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) independently financed and executed the gas-fired combined cycle power plant project, boasting a total net generation capacity of nearly 400 MW achieved through a combination of simple cycle and combined cycle units. Among these, the simple cycle units contribute 252.264MW capacity, while the combined cycle unit adds 131.246MW. The project sources its gas supply from the Bibiyana gas field and remarkably maintains a low electricity production cost of only BDT 1.13 Tk per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Essential equipment like the gas turbine, steam turbine, generator, and other primary components were sourced from various countries including Germany, Belgium, the USA, Spain, and China. The power plants targeted  to achieve an energy efficiency of 53.37 percent%  (NN,2014).


Land Acquisition

The total land area of this power plant is around 32.47 acres according to google earth map.


Finance

The estimated cost of electricity production in the project was set at BDT 1.13 Tk per kilowatt-hour (kWh), factoring in an 85% plant factor. Meanwhile, the anticipated power tariff was estimated to be BDT 4.70 Tk per unit. The project has a designated lifespan of 25 years (DT,2014). The estimated project expenditure amounted to $322.96 million, with the EPC contract valued at $288.26 million.

 

Sponsor

The power plant is sponsored by Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) which is the sole electricity buyer from private and public power plants in Bangladesh.


Contractor

Power Development Board (PDB) finalised the agreement with Isolux Ingenieria SA from Spain and Samsung C&T Corporation from South Korea to build the Bibiyana South Power Plant. The joint venture of Isolux and Samsung will work in the project as an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.


Fuel Supply

To run the power plant smoothly, around 45 MMscf of DFG is required per day (JGTDSL 2019). The power plant  expected to utilise approximately 60 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas, sourced from the Bibiyana gas field for its operations.


Power Generation

The combined cycle gas-fired power plant has a total net generation capacity of 383.51 megawatts (MW), achieved by utilising both simple cycle and combined cycle units in combination.


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). The use of fuel in generating electricity releases harmful pollutants such as CO2, NOx, CO, VOCs, and PM, posing risks to human health and worsening air quality. Conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for this power plant is crucial. It's essential to note that power plants, less efficient and more environmentally harmful compared to combined cycle plants, should be considered. Shifting from natural gas to renewable energy sources in the future would be a more environmentally friendly choice.


Criticism

The power plant emits a substantial amount of carbon due to the use of natural gas as its primary fuel source, leading to the release of various harmful and toxic gases into the environment. But, to date, no IEE or EIA report has been conducted for the power plant. 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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