Patuakhali (RNPL) Coal Power Plant

The Patuakhali Coal Power Plant is owned jointly by Bangladeshi state-owned enterprise Rural Power Company Limited (RPCL) and Chinese state-owned enterprise NORINCO International Corporation. It is situated by the Payra Coal Power Plant in Kalapara, Patuakhali. The power plant is suppose to start commercial operation in December 2024 according to the Revised Power System Master Plan 2016 (PSMP 2018) [1], but the cabinet decided to commission by December 2021 [2] or early 2022 [3]. One representative of Bangladesh Bank visited China from 21-24 September 2019 along with 7 other officials from Power Division to negotiate for a loan agreement with Export and Import Bank of China (CHEXIM) for Patuakhali (RNPL) Coal Power Plant [4]. They had signed a loan agreement in principle on 11 October 2019. The Power Plant was likely to be cancelled as the State Minister for the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources (MOEFCC) sated that ministry had finalized an energy plan that cancelled all coal plants except five which are under construction or in operation now [15]. But, according to the media report, 27% project activities has been completed by December 2020 and set the Commercial Operation Date (COD) in February 2023 [5].

Basic Information
  • Name of the Power Plant: Patuakhali 1320 MW Coal-fired Thermal Power Plant
  • Alternative Names: Patuakhali (RNPL) Coal Power Plant
  • Current Status: Construction
  • Type of Entity: IPP (Independent Power Producer)
  • Ownership: PPP (Public-Private Partnership)
  • Basis of Ownership: BOO (Build, Own and Operate)
  • ESS Category: A
  • ECR Category: Red
  • Number of Units: 2
  • Installed Capacity: 1320 MW [6]
  • Derated Capacity: 1214 MW [1]
  • Current Capacity: None
  • Base Tariff (kWh): BDT 6.50 [7]

Location
  • Address: Dhankhali, Nishanbaria and Londa, Union: Dhankhali, PS: Kalapara, District Patuakhali
  • Geographic Position: On the bank of Rabnabad channel, 35.5 km north from Kuakata sea beach, 53 km south from Patuakhali town and 282 km south from Dhaka city
  • Coordinates: 22.0221, 90.3023

Land & Communities
  • Land Size: 915.74 Acres [6]
  • Land Owners: Farmer
  • Affected Communities: Farmer, Fishermen
  • Directly Affected: 281 families [8]
  • Indirectly Affected: 6,700 families

Fuel & Technology
  • Primary Fuel: Coal
  • Support Fuel: Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO)
  • Fuel Source-1: Indonesia (58%) [5]
  • Fuel Source-2: Australia (42%) [5]
  • Fuel Requirement (Annual): 4.48 million tonnes
  • Fuel Requirement (Lifetime): 112 million tonnes
  • Technology: Ultra Supercritical (USC) [7]

Projected Emission
  • Carbon (C, Annual): Undisclosed
  • Carbon (C, Lifetime): Undisclosed
  • Mercury (Hg, Annual): Undisclosed
  • Mercury (Hg, Lifetime): Undisclosed
  • Sulphur (NOx, Annual): Undisclosed
  • Sulphur (NOx, Lifetime): Undisclosed
  • Solid Particles (PM 2.5, Annual): Undisclosed
  • Solid Particles (PM 2.5, Lifetime): Undisclosed

Executing Agencies
  • Operator: RNPL (RPCL-Norinco International Power Limited)
  • Sponsor: Rural Power Company Limited (RPCL): 50% [9]
  •     Parent: Bangladesh Rural Electrification Department (BREB)
  • Sponsor: NORINCO International Cooperation Limited : 50% [9]
  •     Parent: NORINCO (China North Industries Group Corporation Limited)
  • Energy Buyer: Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB)

Financing
  • Total Budget: USD 2,140 million [6]
  • Sponsors' Investment: USD 722.90 million (30%) [2]
  •     RPCL (Rural Power Company Limited): USD 361.45 million
  •     NORINCO International Corporation Limited: USD 361.45 million
  • Domestic Loan: Undisclosed
  • Overseas Loan: USD 1686.75 million (70%) [5][2]
  •     CHEXIM (Export–Import Bank of China): Undisclosed [5] 
  •     BOC (Bank of China): Undisclosed [5]
  •         Interest Rate: 2.90% [5]
  •         Duration of Loan: 14 years [5]
  • Grants: None
  • GOB Investment: Undisclosed
  •     Evacuation/Transmission:
  •     Land Acquisition: USD 104.70 million [6]
  •     Substation:
  •     Support Infrastructures:

Contractors
  • EPC Contractor: TEPC-CHEC-CWEC Consortium Limited
  • Sponsor: TEPCL (Tianjin Electric Power Construction Company Limited) [10]
  •     Parent: CEEC (China Energy Engineering Corporation Limited) [11][12]
  • Sponsor: CHECL (China Huadian Engineering Company Limited) [13]
  •     Parent: CHCL (China Huadian Corporation Limited)
  • Sponsor: CWECL (China Wanbao Engineering Company Limited) [13]
  •     Parent: NORINCO (China North Industries Group Corporation Limited)
  • O&M Contractor: Undisclosed

Suppliers
  • Alternator Supplier: Undisclosed
  • Boiler Supplier: HEPEC (Harbin Electric Power Equipment Company Limited) [7]
  •     Parent: HECL (Harbin Electric Corporation Limited)
  • Engine Supplier: Undisclosed
  • Equipment Supplier: Undisclosed
  • Fuel Supplier:
  • Gas Turbine Supplier:
  • Generator Suppler: DEMCL (Dongfang Electrical Machinery Company Limited) [7]
  •     Parent: DECL (Dongfang Electric Corporation Limited)
  • Labour Supplier: Undisclosed
  • Steam Turbine Supplier: DTCL (Dongfang Turbine Company Limited) [7]
  •     Parent: DECL (Dongfang Electric Corporation Limited)

Consultants
  • EIA Consultant: Undisclosed 
  • EMP Consultant: Undisclosed 
  • Engineering Consultant: Undisclosed 
  • Feasibility Consultant: Undisclosed 
  • Financial Adviser: Undisclosed 
  • Insurer: Undisclosed
  • Owner's Engineer: Undisclosed
  • Resettlement Consultant: Undisclosed 

Timeline
  • Announcement: February 2016 [14]
  • MOU Signed with Norinco: 9 May 2016 [7]
  • Agreement Signed with Norinco: 12 November 2017
  • PPA Signed: 20 Feb 2019 [7]
  • Implementation Agreement Signed: 8 April 2019
  • EPC Contract Signed: 06 March 2019 
  • EPC Work Order: 31 August 2019 [7]
  • Loan Agreement Signed with CHEXIM: 11 October 2019
  • Construction Period: 48 Months
  • COD (Expected): 19 February 2023 (Unit-1), 19 August 2023 (Unit-2) [7]
  • Lifetime: 25 years
  • Phase Out: 18 February 2048

Reference
  1. Power Division (2018). Revisiting PSMP 2016. Power Division, Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources (MOPEMR), Dhaka: November 2018. p 58. 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 7 October 2019 
  2. Kallol, Asif Showkat (2017). "Bangladesh-China plan 1,320-MW coal-based power plant in Patuakhali". The Dhaka Tribune, Dhaka: 5 November 2017. Archived: https://energy-archive.blogspot.com/2021/01/bangladesh-china-plan-1320-mw-coal.html
  3. NewAge (2017). "Cabinet clears JV formation with Chinese firm". The NewAge, Dhaka: 7 November 2017. Archived: https://energy-archive.blogspot.com/2021/01/cabinet-clears-jv-formation-with.html
  4. BB (2019). "Staff Order: Official Foreign Tour". Bangladesh Bank (BB), Dhaka: 2 October 2019. Retrieved from https://bb.org.bd/aboutus/foreign_visit_info/oct022019hrd(2)-5765042.pdf accessed on 3 October 2019 
  5. Sajid, Eyamin (2021). "China bank finances Rural Power’s coal project". The Business Standard, Dhaka: 14 January 2021. Archived: https://energy-archive.blogspot.com/2021/01/china-bank-finances-rural-powers-coal.html 
  6. Hossain, Sohrab (2021). "Kalapara awaits another 1,320MW power plant". The Daily Star, Dhaka: 10 January 2021. Archived: https://energy-archive.blogspot.com/2021/01/kalapara-awaits-another-1320mw-power.html
  7. Likhon, Nazmul (2021). "Patuakhali coal-fired power plant work progresses fast". The Bangladesh Post, Dhaka: 8 January 2021. Archived: https://energy-archive.blogspot.com/2021/01/patuakhali-coal-fired-power-plant-work.html
  8. Independent (2019). "Housing project in Patuakhali for displaced families". The Independent, Dhaka: 25 December 2019. Archived: https://energy-archive.blogspot.com/2021/01/housing-project-in-patuakhali-for.html 
  9. Daily Sun (2017). "1,320-MW Bangladesh-China power plant on cards". The Daily Sun, Dhaka:2 July 2017. Retrieved from https://www.daily-sun.com/printversion/details/237391/2017/07/02/1320MW-BangladeshChina-power-plant-on-cards- accessed on 3 July 2017
  10. RNPL (2020). Annual Report 2019. RPCL-NORINCO International Power Limited (RNPL), Dhaka: 9 March 2020. p 10. Retrieved from http://rnpl.com.bd/media/downloads/Annual_Report-2019_EpNCXFr.pdf accessed on 14 March 2020
  11. Kualibao (2018). "Energy China Power Engineering got RPCL-Norinco Intl Owner Engineering". Kualibao.qq.com, Beijing: 13 April 2018. Archived: https://energy-archive.blogspot.com/2021/01/energy-china-power-engineering-got-rpcl.html
  12. SASAC (2019). "Tianjin Electric Power Construction Company Limited". State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC), Beijing: 29 April 2019. Retrieved from http://en.sasac.gov.cn/2019/04/29/c_1437.htm accessed on 4 May 2019
  13. China Dialogue (2020). "Bangladesh may ditch 90% of its planned coal power". China Dialogue, Beijing: 27 August 2020. Retrieved from https://chinadialogue.net/en/energy/bangladesh-may-ditch-planned-coal-power/ accessed on 30 August 2020
  14. Steelmint (2017). "Bangladesh: RPCL to build 1,320MW coal-fired power plant in Patuakhali". The Steelmint, Kolkata: 21 September 2016. Retrieved from https://ferro.steelmint.com/articles/rpcl-build-1320mw-coal-fired-power-plant-patuakhali/ accessed on 22 September 2016
  15. Roy, Pinaki (2020). "Future not coal power". The Daily Star, Dhaka: Retrieved from https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/future-not-coal-power-1997305 accessed on 20 November 2020