BSS, Dhaka: The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) today approved ten proposals, including one for extending the tenure of a gas-fired rental power plant by four more years.
The approval came from the first CCGP meeting of the New Year with Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in the chair.
Briefing reporters virtually after the meeting, Cabinet Division Additional Secretary Md Shamsul Arefin said the cabinet committee approved a proposal of state-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) in this regard.
As per the approval, he informed that the BPDB’s Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with private firm Venture Energy Resources Limited will extend for another 4 years to get electricity from the existing 40 MW gas-fired rental power plant in Bhola.
For this purchase, he said, the BPDB will have to spend Taka 380.90 crore during the extended contract period.
However, the power tariff has been lowered to 3.3970 US cents (Tk 2.7176) from 3.49 US Cents (Tk 2.79) per kilowatt hour(each unit) which will save Tk 49.88 crore in next 4 years, he added.
Nine other proposals from entities under different ministries also received the approval.
The CCGP also approved a proposal of Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) to procure 32,400 SPC poles from the Joint Venture of (1) Castle Construction Company Limited and (2) Poles and Concrete Limited at a cost of Taka 31.59 crore.
The committee also approved another BPDB proposal to purchase electricity from a 70 MW grid-tied solar power plant to be set up by the Consortium of (1) Daehan Green Energy Company Limited (2) HI Korea Company Limited and (3) Pabna Solar Power Limited at Ishwardi upazila of Pabna district.
The BPDB will purchase electricity from the plant at 10.15 US Cents (equivalent to Tk 8.12) per kilowatt hour which will involve a cost of Taka 1,843.20 crore over the contract period of 20 years.
The CCGP also approved another proposal of the BPDB for purchasing electricity from a 50 MW grid-tied solar power plant to be set up by the Consortium of (1) Total Eren S.A., France; (2) Norwegian Renewables Group AS, Norway and (3) Urban Services Ltd, Bangladesh.
The BPDB will purchase electricity from the plant at the same rate of 10.15 US Cents (equivalent to Tk 8.12) per kilowatt hour over the contract period of 20 years involving a cost of Taka 1,315.20 crore.
The committee approved a proposal of the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) to import 30,000 metric tons (MT) of bulk granular urea fertiliser from Distribution Limited, UAE at a cost of Taka 246.77 crore while another similar proposal of the same entity to import 30,000 MT of bulk fertiliser at Taka 246.77 from Muntajat of Qatar received the nod of the committee.
The BCIC’s another proposal to import 25,000 MTS of rock phosphate from Gentrade, UAE, at Tk81.49 crore received the approval of the committee.
The committee approved two separate proposals of the Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) to import 40,000 MT of DAP fertiliser at Taka 309.06 crore and 30,000 MT of MOP fertiliser at Taka 152.92 crore.
Each metric ton of DAP will cost $900 and MOP at $593.75 considering US dollar rate at Taka 85.50.