As many as 150-MW electricity was added to the national grid as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally inaugurated the Shikalbaha 150-MW peaking power plant in Chittagong yesterday.
She opened the power plant built at a cost of Taka 777.98 crore by unveiling its plaque. Of the amount, Taka 553.15 crore is foreign currency and 21.71 crore is local currency, while Taka 574.87 core came on the turn-key basis, officials said.
M/s Sino Hydro Corporation Limited constructed the natural gas-based power plant on six acres at Shikalbaha in the port city. Financed by Bangladesh government, the plant went into production on August 16.
Bangladesh Power Development Board is the project implementing organization, while 540 days were needed to construct the plant.
After inauguration of the power plant, a Munajat was offered seeking peace, progress and prosperity of the nation.
Meanwhile, stakeholders have said that inadequacy of gas is badly hampering industrialisation in the country, squeezing the scope of employment generation.
Necessary supply of gas an power to the existing industrial units can help raise export earnings by US dollar 5 billion per annum, said the stakeholders, adding immediate steps needed to find out new sources gas to meet the raising demand.
To make this new gas-based power plant running, the government has no alternative but to ensure uninterrupted supply of gas to the plant.
Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain, Minister for Primary and Mass Education Dr Afsarul Amin, PM’s Defence Adviser Maj. Gen. (retd) Tareque Ahmed Siddiqui, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Enamul Haque, State Minister for Housing and Public Works Advocate Abdul Mannan Khan, State Minister for Environment and Forest Dr Hasan Mahmud, State Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Dipankar Talukdar, Aktaruzzaman Chowdhury, MP, and Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Zhang Xianyi were present on the occasion.
Later addressing a gathering, the Prime Minister said the present government has been working relentlessly for development of the power sector in the country.
“Overall development of the country is not possible without adequate power generation. So, the present government has undertaken short, mid and long-term measures for development of the power sector,” she added.
Criticizing the past BNP-Jamaat alliance government for not taking proper steps for power generation, Sheikh Hasina said the alliance government is fully responsible for present state of the power sector.
“The past Awami League after taking office in 1996 raised power production to 4300 MW from 1600 MW and before handing over power, the government had made arrangement for production of 5,000-MW more electricity,” she said.
But after coming to power, she said, the BNP-Jamaat alliance government failed to add a single megawatt power to the national grid.
The Prime Minister said after assuming office this time the present government has been able to add 1000-MW electricity to the national grid. “The government has taken initiatives to raise power production speedily and we hope that the problems will be solved very soon,” she added.
Earlier, Sheikh Hasina arrived here at 11.15am by a helicopter on a hectic visit. On her arrival at Maizzertek Helipad, she was received by Mayor of Chittagong Manjur Alam.
