Bangladesh-India long term coal sharing contract signed

The Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Ltd (BIFPCL) has signed an agreement with PricewaterhouseCoopers Private Limited, India for long-term coal sourcing, maritime transportation, transshipment, inland water transport and logistics.

The coal supply agreement is an important milestone for BIFPCL, a joint venture of PDB and NTPC of India, for developing the 1320MW Maitree Super Thermal Power Project at Rampal based on imported coal and super critical technology.

VS Tamrakar, managing director of BIFPCL, and Yogesh Daruka, director of PWC, signed the contract for their respective sides at the Bidyut Bhaban on Monday.

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid, Power Division Secretary Monowar Islam, Power Development Board (PDB) Chairman Md Abduhu Ruhullah and other dignitaries were present during the signing.

PWC, a globally reputed consultant, will provide optimum solution to BIFPCL for sourcing of coal and its transportation for generation of power with high availability and in an environment friendly manner.

The state minister in his address stressed the need for commissioning the power project by December 2018. He also said the power project would be an environment friendly model power project.

The power Division secretary said under the power sector master plan, the government would require to produce 24,000MW of electricity by 2021 and 40,000MW by 2030. The government has targeted producing around 20,000MW of electricity by 2030 from coal.

Indian state-owned National Thermal Power Company will build and operate the plant.