Patuakhali 1320 (2×660) MW Coal Fired Thermal Power Plant is going to be another mega project of People's Republic of Bangladesh. It is another dream project for the people of Southern Part of Bangladesh. To implement this project and to fulfill the dream, two state-owned companies, Rural Power Company Limited (RPCL), Bangladesh and NORINCO International Cooperation Limited, China formed a Joint Venture Company named "RPCL-NORINCO Intl Power Limited (RNPL)" on December 21, 2017. The motto of this company is to bring electricity service all over the country including marginal areas.
Bangladeshi state-owned company RPCL selected the site at Kalapara Upazilla under Patuakhali District through detail feasibility Study and Environmental Impact Assessment in 2016. RPCL acquired 921.74 acres of land and 500 acres handed over to RNPL officially as long-term Land Lease Agreement in 2019. BPDB will purchase all the electricity generation from the power plant. Following this process Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) signed between BPDB and RNPL on February 20, 2019 and Implementation Agreement (IA) have been signed between RNPL and PGCB in 2019.
This project consisting of construction of jetty and coal handling facilities for coal import, coal storage, power plant construction, township development and construction of transmission facilities and road communication. To construct the Power Plant, the company signed EPC Contract with "Consortium of Tianjin Electric Power Construction Co. Ltd., China Huadian Engineering Co. Ltd. and China Wanbao Engineering Corporation (TEPC-CHEC-CWEC) ".
This Power Plant will be run using Ultra-Super Critical Technology along with imported coal. The construction of the Patuakhali Power Plant started on August, 2019. But immediate after the construction began, Covid-19 spread out all over the world. Construction work slowed down for some while, but never been stopped. And now it is very close to make the dream successful.
Power Evacuation Facilities were supposed to be constructed by Power Grid. To secure the implementation of Power Evacuation Related Facilities on an urgent basis RNPL constructed under its management 400 KV AIS switching Station at Amtali, Barguna, 19.30 km double circuit line. Implementation of Power Evacuation Related Facilities is almost done. After LILO connection is established, the substation will be ready for energization and commissioning of the Power Plant will be started.
30 acres of the land is used for resettlement of the people who lost their lands and homes during land acquisition. An attractive residential township has been developed for 281 families along with all the necessary infrastructures like houses, mosque, school, health Centre, market, community center, cyclone center, playground, pond and graveyard. This portion this project is almost ready to handover to the owners.
The 1st Unit (660MW) of the Power Plant is expected to supply electricity commercially to the National Grid by March, 2025 and the whole Power Plant (1320 MW) by June, 2025, subject to getting Back-Feed power received by December 2024.