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    • Jan 13
    • 3 min read

Kutubdia 1.9 MW (BPDB) Wind Power Plant

Current Status: Operation


Kutubdia 1 MW Wind Power Plant, also known as Kutubdia Wind Mill, is a vertical turbine wind power plant situated in Tablarchar village of Ali Akbar Dale Union under Kutubdia Upazila in Cox’s Bazar District of Bangladesh (Coordinates: 21.7833, 91.8479). It has been sponsored by the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) as a State-owned Power Plant (SOPP) for 25 years. The power plant's first unit (900 KW) started its commercial operation in March 2008, while the second unit (1 MW) in February 2017. As per schedule, the units will retire in March 2033 and February 2042, respectively.


Capacity

Currently, the power plant has the capability to produce 2 megawatts (MW) of electricity.


Context

The Kutubdia 1 MW Wind Power Plant project, initiated by the Bangladesh Power Development Board in 2006, aimed to assess the viability of alternative power sources. The installation was completed by Pan Asia Power Service Ltd in March 2008 (TDS, 2009).


In 2008, the country's second wind power plant was established at Kutubdia. This project with a capacity of one megawatt was first installed with 50 turbines at a cost of about 15 crore BDT in a wide area next to the embankment of Tablarchar village of Ali Akbar Dale Union of the upazila  (SB, 2019). The wind project is designed to supply electricity to approximately 12,000 residents on the island (Uzzaman, S. A., 2023). But before the project could see the light of day, the power generation was stopped due to Cyclone Aila in 2010 (SB, 2019).


In 2016, efforts were made to revive a long-neglected wind power plant. This initiative involved the installation of a redesigned wind power facility with 20 turbines, costing BDT 23 crore 77 lakh. This development resulted in the production and distribution of 2 megawatts of electricity to the local community (NN, 2022).


Land Acquisition

Information about acquired land for the power plant was not found.


Finance

The first phase of the one-megawatt project, consisting of 50 turbines, was set up at a cost of around 15 crore BDT. In 2016, a new-configuration wind power plant, equipped with 20 turbines, was installed for BDT 23 crore 77 lakh (SB, 2019).


Sponsor

The power plant is sponsored by the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).


Contractors

In March 2008, Pan Asia Power Service Ltd completed the installation of the Kutubdia 1 MW Wind Power Plant  (TDS, 2009).


Fuel Supply

Electric power is generated by the rotation of tall tower-mounted fans, utilizing only air as fuel, without any additional fuel costs. When the wind blows, the turning of the fan produces electricity (DB, 2023).


Power Generation

The initial power plant unit, with a capacity of 900 KW, began commercial operations in March 2008. Subsequently, the second unit, boasting 1 MW, commenced operations in February 2017 and the plant features 20 turbines, each with a production capacity of 50 kilowatts (NA, 2017).  

   

Environment

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

The operator of the project stated that the plant was vulnerable to collapse as its protecting dam had been ruined by cyclones. The power plant was threatened as its protecting dam had been washed away by a string of cyclones that struck the project site (TDS, 2009).


References

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