A new 3600 megawatt (MW) liquefied natural gas or LNG-based combined cycle power plant will be setup in Moheskhali in Chottogram with Saudi investment.
Both Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and Saudi International Company for Water and Power Project will implement the project.
In this regard a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed between the two countries during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Saudi Arabia, BPDB officials said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reached Saudi Arabia to attend the 14th conference of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) wrapping up her four-day official visit to Japan. BPDB Chairmen Engineer Khaled Mahmood told reporters, “A Saudi company has shown interest to fund and set up a LNG based power plant in Bangladesh. We have already discussed with the company about the power plant. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed between Bangladesh Power Development Board and Saudi International Company for Water and Power Project during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Saudi Arabia.”
According to the MOU draft, the Saudi company will build the power plant with land development work in Moheshkhali Island. They would also invest in the power plant. In addition to the planned power plant the Saudi company is also expected to set up a 500MW solar power plant jointly with BPDB. A Power Division official told Bangladesh Post that a high-level delegation of Saudi Arabia had come to Bangladesh last March. The delegation was presented with the master plan of power generation in Moheshkhali Island where construction of a power plant is already underway.
The Saudi delegation had also showed interest to investment for LNG based power plant in Moheshkhali. Based on that they had forwarded a proposal to take the project forward. Meanwhile, Bangladesh Power Development Board has taken a plan to set up land based LNG terminal with the help of US company General Electric (GE). The Saudi company also showed interest to invest there.
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