Wind power

Greenest way to meet electricity demand

With its extensive coastline of 710 km and abundant flatland, Bangladesh has the potential to harness wind power to meet a sizable portion of its increasing demand for electricity. However, due to improper policy and tariff structure, the potential has remained untapped so far.

With its extensive coastline of 710 km and abundant flatland, Bangladesh has the potential to harness wind power to meet a sizable portion of its increasing demand for electricity. However, due to improper policy and tariff structure, the potential has remained untapped so far.
The Power Development Board (PDB) had installed wind mills in Kutubdia and Feni, aiming to generate 1MW, in 2008. But, both projects failed since the Kutubdia 1 megawatt (20kw capacity, with 50 turbines) was hit hard by cyclone Aila while the other with a capacity of 225kw (having four turbines) had to be shut because of inappropriate wind mapping.
In May 2014, the government signed an agreement with US-DK Green Energy for the construction of the country’s first 60MW wind turbine power plant in Cox’s Bazar.
US-DK Green Energy Ltd is a joint venture between US-based Taylor Engineering LLC, Denmark-based ph-consulting group and Bangladesh-based Multiplex Green Energy Ltd.
With 2MW of electricity generation capacity each, 30-35 wind turbine generator units will be established on the shores of Bay of Bengal, about 5km from Cox's Bazar town.
Commercial operations were slated to begin within the next 10 months, but nearly 20 months since, there has been no progress.
Talking to The Independent, Zahurul Islam, managing director of the US-DK Green Energy, said the crucial wind mapping data in the region has been completed by Vestas-Asia-Pacific Wind Technology Pvt Limited.
Zahurul added, “The problem is, the data shows that the plant factor is around 18%-20%, which makes it hard for us to implement the plant within the current tariff structure.”
The plant factor of a power plant refers to the ratio of its actual output over a period of time, to its potential output if it were possible for it to operate at full nameplate capacity continuously over the same period of time.
So 18 pr cent-20 per cent plant factor of a 60 MW plant means it will be able to generate 18 per cent-20 per cent of that capacity.
He believes the proposed plant will require an investment of $120 million. “As per our agreement with the PDB, we are supposed to sell electricity at $0.12 a kilowatt-hour. The feasibility study shows that selling the electricity at that price will mean incurring losses. We need at least $0.18 a kilowatt-hour,” he said, adding that no financer is keen to back the project in light of this development.
Siddique Zobair, member of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA), and a joint secretary of the government, told The Independent that the wind mapping was supposed to take place before signing a power purchase agreement. “They signed the agreement with PDB before conducting the wind mapping which was unusal,” he explained.
Zobair remarked that US-DK Green Energy received the data of one year, but plant factor couldn’t be measured properly unless two years' data had been collected.
He commented that turbine technology was changing across the world. “A new technology called magnetic gear, developed in Germany, could significantly improve the output of the wind turbine,” he said.
The use of magnetic gear in place of mechanical gear in wind turbines could reduce friction and increase the plant factor up to 22-24 per cent. “That technology will change the wind turbine plant across the globe and we will be able to reap the benefits,” he said.
It could also improve the plant factor of the proposed 60MW plant in Cox’s Bazaar could be improved. He said, “We will be able to purchase at $0.15-$0.16 a kilowatt-hour from the plant then.”
Bangladesh, he added, has great potential in harnessing wind power. “This is the greenest possible energy source and we have the opportunity to use that to produce around 200 MW of electricity,” he said.
Zobair informed that the Power Division, meanwhile, has been mapping wind resources in eight locations of the country. “The project worth Tk 11.9 crore started in 2013 and it will end by the end of 2017.”
Talking to The Independent, Project Director Md Bazlur Rahman informed that mapping work is on in Inani Beach of Cox’s Bazar, Sitakunda and Anwara of Chittagong, Khepupara of Patuakhali, Morelgong of Bagerhat, Chandpur and Rajshahi.
“A year's worth of data has been collected in Inani Beach, Chadpur and Rajshahi,” he said, adding that the average wind velocity found in those areas is 4.5 m/s. The usual standard of wind velocity is 5 m/s for establishing a wind turbine plant.
Rahman said they need to collect data of one more year for it to be ‘bankable’. “Data of one year is not good enough to create appropriate wind mapping,” he said.
Meanwhile, another memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Power Division and Vestas-Asia-Pacific Wind Technology Pvt Limited was signed in October 12 in order to generate 100 MW from wind power.
As per the MoU, Vestas would conduct Wind Resource Assessment (WRA) in two places in Patuakhali for the construction of 100MW wind turbine power plant and submit the assessment report within a year.

Wind power

Greenest way to meet electricity demand

With its extensive coastline of 710 km and abundant flatland, Bangladesh has the potential to harness wind power to meet a sizable portion of its increasing demand for electricity. However, due to improper policy and tariff structure, the potential has remained untapped so far.

With its extensive coastline of 710 km and abundant flatland, Bangladesh has the potential to harness wind power to meet a sizable portion of its increasing demand for electricity. However, due to improper policy and tariff structure, the potential has remained untapped so far. The Power Development Board (PDB) had installed wind mills in Kutubdia and Feni, aiming to generate 1MW, in 2008. But, both projects failed since the Kutubdia 1 megawatt (20kw capacity, with 50 turbines) was hit hard by cyclone Aila while the other with a capacity of 225kw (having four turbines) had to be shut because of inappropriate wind mapping. In May 2014, the government signed an agreement with US-DK Green Energy for the construction of the countrys first 60MW wind turbine power plant in Coxs Bazar. US-DK Green Energy Ltd is a joint venture between US-based Taylor Engineering LLC, Denmark-based ph-consulting group and Bangladesh-based Multiplex Green Energy Ltd. With 2MW of electricity generation capacity each, 30-35 wind turbine generator units will be established on the shores of Bay of Bengal, about 5km from Coxs Bazar town. Commercial operations were slated to begin within the next 10 months, but nearly 20 months since, there has been no progress. Talking to The Independent, Zahurul Islam, managing director of the US-DK Green Energy, said the crucial wind mapping data in the region has been completed by Vestas-Asia-Pacific Wind Technology Pvt Limited. Zahurul added, The problem is, the data shows that the plant factor is around 18%-20%, which makes it hard for us to implement the plant within the current tariff structure. The plant factor of a power plant refers to the ratio of its actual output over a period of time, to its potential output if it were possible for it to operate at full nameplate capacity continuously over the same period of time. So 18 pr cent-20 per cent plant factor of a 60 MW plant means it will be able to generate 18 per cent-20 per cent of that capacity. He believes the proposed plant will require an investment of $120 million. As per our agreement with the PDB, we are supposed to sell electricity at $0.12 a kilowatt-hour. The feasibility study shows that selling the electricity at that price will mean incurring losses. We need at least $0.18 a kilowatt-hour, he said, adding that no financer is keen to back the project in light of this development. Siddique Zobair, member of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA), and a joint secretary of the government, told The Independent that the wind mapping was supposed to take place before signing a power purchase agreement. They signed the agreement with PDB before conducting the wind mapping which was unusal, he explained. Zobair remarked that US-DK Green Energy received the data of one year, but plant factor couldnt be measured properly unless two years data had been collected. He commented that turbine technology was changing across the world. A new technology called magnetic gear, developed in Germany, could significantly improve the output of the wind turbine, he said. The use of magnetic gear in place of mechanical gear in wind turbines could reduce friction and increase the plant factor up to 22-24 per cent. That technology will change the wind turbine plant across the globe and we will be able to reap the benefits, he said. It could also improve the plant factor of the proposed 60MW plant in Coxs Bazaar could be improved. He said, We will be able to purchase at $0.15-$0.16 a kilowatt-hour from the plant then. Bangladesh, he added, has great potential in harnessing wind power. This is the greenest possible energy source and we have the opportunity to use that to produce around 200 MW of electricity, he said. Zobair informed that the Power Division, meanwhile, has been mapping wind resources in eight locations of the country. The project worth Tk 11.9 crore started in 2013 and it will end by the end of 2017. Talking to The Independent, Project Director Md Bazlur Rahman informed that mapping work is on in Inani Beach of Coxs Bazar, Sitakunda and Anwara of Chittagong, Khepupara of Patuakhali, Morelgong of Bagerhat, Chandpur and Rajshahi. A years worth of data has been collected in Inani Beach, Chadpur and Rajshahi, he said, adding that the average wind velocity found in those areas is 4.5 m/s. The usual standard of wind velocity is 5 m/s for establishing a wind turbine plant. Rahman said they need to collect data of one more year for it to be bankable. Data of one year is not good enough to create appropriate wind mapping, he said. Meanwhile, another memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Power Division and Vestas-Asia-Pacific Wind Technology Pvt Limited was signed in October 12 in order to generate 100 MW from wind power. As per the MoU, Vestas would conduct Wind Resource Assessment (WRA) in two places in Patuakhali for the construction of 100MW wind turbine power plant and submit the assessment report within a year.