RE: Why must the public bear the burden of capacity charges?14 May 2024 22:08
Yes doze that could be one explanation. It just all read as a strange situation. Are BPDM trying to play the long game and get it for next to nothing and then set their own price structure? Made my head hurt :o)
'The BPDB’s move surprised many as it was unlikely on the part of the government that it unilaterally stopped buying electricity from the most efficient and lowest-cost power when it continued to purchase electricity from high-cost plants belonging to Summit Group and other plants.
“Actually, there was no strong lobby on behalf of the Haripur plant to pursue the government to renew its contract with the BPDB. That’s why the country will be deprived of the low-cost electricity,” a top official of the BPDB told the news agency requesting anonymity.
He, however, said the government can offer the owner-company of the Haripur plant to buy it and operate under the BPDB management.
Sources said the USA-based AES Corporation developed the Haripur and Meghnaghat power plants, after a number of changes in their ownership. Now Malaysian Pendekar Energy Limited owns and operates the two plants.
In 2003, AES sold the plants to the UK company CDC Globeleq, which sold the plants to Malaysia-based Pendekar Group in 2007.
Official sources said the government had to pay Tk 500-550 million a month to purchase electricity from the Haripur power plant for its 360 MW electricity.
“But from November 2022, the operator of the plant has not been receiving any bills from the BPDB for which it lost interest to continue its operation”, said another source.
He also mentioned that BPDB is not interested in extending its operation as it has a contractual obligation to buy electricity from newly established plants like Summit Group’s Meghnaghat Plant, Unique Group’s Meghnaghat plant and also some coal-fired power plants whose electricity cost is between Tk 6.50 to Tk 30 per unit.'
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