Statement on Consideration of TEPCO as Consultant of PSMP 2021

  • H.E. Mr. Motegi Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Japan
  • H.E. M A Mannan, Minister, Ministry of Planning, Bangladesh
  • H.E. A H M Mustafa Kamal, Minister, Ministry of Finance, Bangladesh
  • H.E. Nasrul Hamid, State Minister, Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Bangladesh
  • H.E. Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Chair, Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bangladesh National Parliament
  • H.E. Mohammad Hossain, Director General, Power Cell, Power Division, Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Bangladesh
  • Mr. Shinichi Kitaoka, President, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
  • Mr. Tomoaki Kobayakawa, President, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Incorporated (TEPCO)
  • Mr. Shotaro Ogawara, CEO, Tokyo Electric Power Services Co., Ltd. (TEPSCO)

Our heartfelt thanks for taking the initiative to review the Power System Master Plan (PSMP) 2016 which was last revised in 2018. Experts in the power sector have said the growth of power demand as projected in the Revised PSMP 2016 is too high and therefore impractical [1] and it is time to revisit the plan[2].

Tokyo Electric Power Services Company Limited (TEPSCO), a subsidiary of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) [3] had been appointed to prepare the Power System Master Plan 2010 [4] for the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources (MOPEMR) of Bangladesh. It is pertinent to mention that TEPCO is the owner and operator of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which after the severe accident on 11 March 2011 was convicted for ‘betrayal of the nation’s right to be safe from nuclear accidents’, despite previous warning [5].

The projection of national electricity demand by 2030 as projected by TEPCO in the PSMP 2010 was too high (38,685 MW) [6] and emphasized massively on coal (50%) [7]. The PSMP was revised in 2016 also by TEPCO [8] admitting that PSMP 2010 was impractical [9] and a new target of total installed capacity brought down at 31,000 MW by 2030 and 57,000 MW by 2041 with more dependency on coal (55%) was given [10]. The PSMP 2016 was revisited again in 2018 in accordance with the Vision 2041 document [11] and a further higher target of generating 41,890 MW by 2030 and 82,292 MW by 2041 where 40% and 32% will be contributed by coal [12] by 2030 and 2041 respectively was set [13].

TEPCO has serious conflict of interest issues in Bangladesh. After formulation of PSMP 2010, it had started work as EIA and Engineering Consultant for the Matarbari 600X2 MW Coal Fired Power Plant and Associated Facilities [14] and the Anowara-Matarbari 400 kV Transmission Line Project. It is also a front-runner candidate as EIA and Engineering Consultant for the Matarbari Kohelia Coal Power Plant. TEPCO has also joined in implementing the Expansion of Haripur Power Plant, Power Sector Capacity Building and constructing an underground substation for Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited (DESCO) [15].
Moreover, the price of renewables has been consistently decreasing since the last decade [16]. According to a recent study, Bangladesh has the capacity of generating 156,000 MW electricity from Solar Photovoltaic and another 150,000 MW from wind [17] at a cost which is lower than new coal power plants [18]. However, TEPCO estimated only 10% power from renewables by 2030 in PSMP 2010 [19], 7% by 2041 in PSMP 2016 [20] and only 3.8% by 2041 in the Revised PSMP 2016 [21], although the Government of Bangladesh committed to ensure at least 10% power from renewable sources by 2021 [22]. So, it is clear that options of renewable sources were intentionally ignored by TEPCO during formulation of PSMP as they operate only 7.0 MW of Solar and 18.37 MW of Wind Power while 36,995.0 MW from fossil fuel and 17,308 from Nuclear [23].

After revising PSMP 2016 in 2018, TEPCO has changed its business model in Bangladesh and started intervening through JERA, one of its subsidiaries. In September 2019, JERA took 49% of the equity share in the Reliance Meghnaghat Combined Cycle Power Plant [24]. After a month, JERA also acquired 22% of the outstanding shares of Summit Power International Limited (SPIL) in October 2019 [25] to maximize its profit from the fossil fuel market in Bangladesh. JERA also has signed a Master Sale and Purchase Agreement (MPSA) with Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Ltd. (RPGCL) to sell LNG to the Bangladesh Government [26]. 

The above show that the TEPCO intentionally forced the PSMP to reflect an excessive dependency on fossil fuels, especially coal and LNG in order to further it’s business after massive losses post the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster [27].
 
Hence, we demand that:
  • Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) must be dropped from consideration as Consultant for review of the Power System Master Plan (PSMP) of Bangladesh to ensure impartiality of the plan.
  • All approved and under construction Coal-fired Power Projects be cancelled, in line with the statement made by the Hon’ble State Minister for Power of Bangladesh on 24 June 2020 [28].
  • The target of 100 percent renewable by 2050 be incorporated in the PSMP, keeping to the recommendation of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry on 26 July 2020 [29]. 
 

Hasan Mehedi 
Member Secretary, Bangladesh Working Group on External Debt (BWGED) 

 

Signed by
--------------------------
  • Aamra Ek Sachetan Prayas Forum, India
  • Aid Organization, Bangladesh
  • Aksi Ekologi & Emansipasi Rakyat (AEER), Indonesia
  • Arjon Foundation, Bangladesh
  • Asian People’s Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD)
  • Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), Bangladesh
  • Bangladesh Model Youth Parliament, Bangladesh
  • Bangladesh Poribesh Andolan (BAPA), Bangladesh
  • Bharat Jan Vigyan Katha (BJVK), India
  • Campaign for Good Governance (SUPRO), Bangladesh
  • Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (CSRL), Bangladesh
  • Center for Environment and Participatory Research (CEPR), Bangladesh
  • Center for Participatory Research and Development (CPRD), Bangladesh
  • Change Initiative, Bangladesh
  • CLEAN (Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network), Bangladesh
  • Committee for the Abolition of Third World Debt (CADTM), India
  • Democratic Budget Movement (DBM), Bangladesh
  • Dhaatri Resource Centre, India
  • Environics Trust, India
  • Friends of the Earth Japan
  • Green South Foundation, Thailand
  • Growthwatch, India
  • International Accountability Project (IAP), USA
  • INSAF (Indian Social Action Forum), India
  • ISDE Bangladesh
  • Japan Center for a Sustainable Environment and Society (JACSES), Japan
  • Kothowain (Vulnerable Peoples Development Organization), Bangladesh
  • Land and Nature Safeguard Platform (LNSP), Bangladesh
  • Lawyers for Energy and Environment Rights (LEER), Bangladesh
  • Mangrove Action Project (MAP), USA
  • Mekong Watch, Japan
  • Movement for Advancing Understanding on Sustainability and Mutuality, India
  • Nadi Ghati Morcha, India
  • Nagorik Sanghati, Bangladesh
  • Nagorik Uddyog (Citizens Initiative), Bangladesh
  • NGO Forum on ADB, International
  • Oil Change International, United States
  • Paribartan-Rajshahi, Bangladesh
  • Participatory Research Action Network (PRAN), Bangladesh
  • Prantojon Trust, Bangladesh
  • Recourse, The Netherlands
  • Riverine People, Bangladesh
  • Safety and Rights Society (SRS), Bangladesh
  • Snehakunja Trust, India
  • Social Economic Development Society (SEDS), Bangladesh
  • Songshoptaque, Bangladesh
  • SPEED Trust, Bangladesh
  • Thepha Anti-Coal Network, Thailand
  • Urgewald, Germany
  • VOICE (Voices for Interactive Choice and Empowerment), Bangladesh
  • Waterkeepers Bangladesh 

 

Endnotes
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  1. Patwary, A.K.M.A. (2020). The need for policy reforms and energy security. The Daily Independent, Dhaka: 14 July 2020. Retrieved from http://www.theindependentbd.com/post/250122 accessed on 27 July 2020
  2. Rahman, M. (2020). "Do we have over capacity for power generation?". The Financial Express, Dhaka: 3 July 2020. Retrieved from https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/views/views/do-we-have-over-capacity-for-power-generation-1593791785 accessed on 28 July 2020
  3. TEPCO (undated). "Bangladesh Power Supply Master Plan Project". Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Limited (TEPCO), Tokyo. Retrieved from https://www.tepco.co.jp/en/hd/ourbusiness/consulting/bangladesh-e.html accessed on 28 July 2020
  4. Power Division (2010). Power System Master Plan 2010: Final Report. Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources (MOPEMR), Dhaka: February 2011 retrieved from https://policy.asiapacificenergy.org/sites/default/files/PSMP2010_reduced.pdf accessed on 26 July 2020
  5. Kurokawa, K. et al. (2012). The Official Report of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission. The National Diet of Japan, Tokyo: 5 July 2012. Retrieved from https://www.nirs.org/wp-content/uploads/fukushima/naiic_report.pdf accessed on 27 July 2020
  6. Power Division (2010). ibid. p 8-29
  7. Power Division (2010). ibid. p 8-38
  8. https://libopac.jica.go.jp/images/report/P1000029618.html
  9. Power Division (2016). Power System Master Plan 2016: Summary. Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources (MOPEMR), Dhaka: September 2016. p 1-21. Retrieved from https://powerdivision.portal.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/powerdivision.portal.gov.bd/page/4f81bf4d_1180_4c53_b27c_8fa0eb11e2c1/(E)_FR_PSMP2016_Summary_revised.pdf accessed on 27 July 2020
  10. Power Division (2016). ibid. p 1-50
  11. Power Division (2018). Revisiting PSMP 2016. Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources (MOPEMR), Dhaka: November 2018. Retrieved from https://powerdivision.portal.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/powerdivision.portal.gov.bd/page/4f81bf4d_1180_4c53_b27c_8fa0eb11e2c1/Revisiting%20PSMP2016%20%28full%20report%29_signed.pdf accessed on 28 July 2020
  12. Power Division (2018). ibid. Pp 25-26
  13. Power Division (2018). ibid. p 46
  14. JICA (2013). Report on Environmental Impact Assessment of Construction of Matarbari 600X2 MW Coal Fired Power Plant and Associated Facilities. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Tokyo: June 2013. Retrieved from https://libportal.jica.go.jp/library/Data/DocforEnvironment/EIA-EPC/EastAsia-SouthwesternAsian/ChittagongACFPPDP/BCEIA.pdf accessed on 28 July 2020
  15. TEPSCO (2019). TEPSCO Enters into Consulting Agreement Pertaining to the Construction of Kawranbazar Underground Substation in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Tokyo Electric Power Services Company Limited, Tokyo: 26 March 2019. Retrieved from https://www.tepco.co.jp/en/pg/newsroom/press/archives/2019/190326-e.html accessed on 28 July 2020
  16. Dudley, D. (2018). "Renewable Energy will be Consistently Cheaper than Fossil Fuels by 2020, Report Claims". Forbes, Jersey City: 13 January 2018. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/dominicdudley/2018/01/13/renewable-energy-cost-effective-fossil-fuels-2020/#5b9ce3aa4ff2 accessed on 28 July 2020
  17. Teske, S., Morris, T. & Nagrath, K. (2019). 100% Renewable Energy for Bangladesh - Access to Renewable Energy for all within One Generation. Report prepared by Institute for Sustainable Future (ISF) for Coastal Development Partnership (CDP), Bangladesh; Bread for the World, Germany and World Future Council, Germany: June 2019. Retrieved from https://www.worldfuturecouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/100-Renewable-Energy-for-Bangladesh.pdf accessed on 4 June 2020
  18. Huq, S. & Kammen, D.M. (2018). The Superior Choice: Bangladesh and India should build Solar Farms, not Coal Plants, on both sides of the Border. The Daily Star, Dhaka: 15 February 2018. Retrieved from https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/environment/the-superior-choice-1534639 accessed on 28 May 2020
  19. Power Division (2010). ibid. p 6-6
  20. Power Division (2016). ibid. p 1-62
  21. Power Division (2018). ibid. p 58
  22. Power Division (2018). ibid. p 57
  23. TEPCO Renewable Power Incorporated: https://www.tepco.co.jp/en/rp/index-e.html
  24. JERA (2019). "JERA to Participate in a New Gas-fired Thermal Power Generation Project in Bangladesh". Japan's Energy for A New Era (JERA), Tokyo: 3 September 2019. Retrieved from https://www.jera.co.jp/english/information/20190903_389 accessed on 28 July 2020
  25. JERA (2019). JERA Invests in Bangladesh's Largest Independent Power Producer. Japan's Energy for A New Era (JERA), Tokyo: 7 October 2019. Retrieved from https://www.jera.co.jp/english/information/20191007_403 accessed on 28 July 2020
  26. HSNW (2020). Bangladesh eyes spot LNG imports in diversification drive". Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide (HSNW): 24 March 2020. Retrieved from https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/bangladesh-eyes-spot-lng-imports-in-diversification-drive/ accessed on 28 July 2020
  27. Reuters (2011). "Tepco may face $23.6 billion compensation costs: JP Morgan". Reuters, London: 12 April 2011. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-tepco-compensation-r/tepco-may-face-23-6-billion-compensation-costs-jp-morgan-idUSTRE73A8BH20110411 accessed on 28 July 2020
  28. Financial Express (2020). "Speakers at CPD dialogue: ‘Reduce dependency on expensive power plants". The Financial Express, Dhaka: 24 June 2020. Retrieved from https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/reduce-dependency-on-expensive-power-plants-1593013880 accessed on 28 July 2020
  29. Daily NewAge (2020). "JS Body for Reviving forests as per CS survey". Daily NewAge, Dhaka: 26 July 2020. Retrieved from https://www.newagebd.net/article/112201/js-body-for-reviving-forests-as-per-cs-survey accessed on 28 July 2020