Coal-based power plant in Payra
Chinese firm likely to get EPC contract
FAISAL MAHMUD
A Chinese company is likely to get the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract for the 1,320-megawatt coal-based power plant in Payra, Patuakhali.
The company Northeast Electric Power Engineering Company (NEPC), a well known brand name in electric power construction industry in China is likely to get the EPC contract as no other company had submitted tender for the construction of Payra Coal-Based Based Power Plant near Patuakhalis Payra maritime port.
Bangladesh-China Power Company (Pvt) Limited (BCPCL) the joint venture firm of Chinese power company CMC and state-owned North-West Power Generation Company Limited (NWPGCL) which will implement the mega power project floated tender for the EPC contractor in October last year. The last date for tender submission was December 21.
Only one company-NEPC- however had shown its interest for getting the EPC contract for the Payra power plant.
Talking with The Independent, Mizanur Rahman, project director of Payra Power Plant, said that the Chinese company hasnt been given the contract yet. We are still evaluating their proposal, he said.
Yes we have received a lone proposal from NEPC but that doesnt necessarily mean that the Chinese company will be awarded the contract. Their proposal has to go through our technical and financial evaluation. After that, the company will be awarded EPC contract, if the evaluation committee find those evaluation positive, he said.
When asked why the tender failed to attract any bidders other than a lone Chinese company, he said that I dont know about that. Its a large project and we have various conditions. May be those bar many companies from participating in the biding process, he said.
Rahman told The Independent that by March, they will finalise the evaluation process and award the EPC contract.
He hoped that the first unit would start commissioning on April 25, 2019 and the second one on October 25 the same year.
The government has a plan to set up series of coal-fired power projects to generate 20,000MW of electricity by 2030. The 1,320-megawatt ultra super critical coal based power plant of BCPCL-the joint venture company is an important project to implement that government plan.
The NWPGCL and the CMC will have equal share in the joint venture company. The project will be implemented on a 30:70 equity:debt basis. It means the NWPGCL and the CMC will have to provide 30% fund of the total project cost and mobilize the other 70% from international sources.
It will be built in Kalapara on a 397 hectare land. To acquire the land from locals, the government transferred Tk69 crore to the deputy commissioner of Patuakhali on April 29.
State-owned West Zone Power Distribution Company is assigned to construct a 65km 33kv distribution line from Patuakhali 132/33 kV Grid sub-station to the project area with two 33/0.4 kV and 200kva transformers.
The land development and protection project for Payra power plant involving Tk783 crore was approved by the Ecnec on October 21, 2014.
