The Ashuganj Power Station Company Limited (APSCL) will build a 1320-megawatt (MW) capacity coal-fired power plant at Pyra port area as it will start developing land this year for the project, officials said.
"We've has recently sought approval of a Tk 8.52 billion project from the Planning Commission (PC) for developing the land at the proposed site for the 1320MW plant in Pyra," Managing Director of the company Engr. AMM Sazzadur Rahman told the FE.
"We will develop 930.615 across of land there. Then we will go for setting up the power plant in the second phase," he said.
Mr Rahman said the proposed 1320MW coal-based power plant will use the latest "ultra-supper critical" technology.
A PC official said they are scrutinising the APSCL's proposal for allocating Tk 8.52 billion for land development. "If we find it viable for the country, we will place if before the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council for approval."
The APSCL MD Mr Rahman said they would form a joint-venture (JU) with a Chinese company "Energy China" for constructing the 1320MW power station at Pyra.
"We have already signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese company for the project in Bangladesh. Soon after getting the land development project's approval from the government, we will go for final JV deal to build the coal-fired power station," he added.
Meanwhile, some other state-owned companies have also taken steps to set up coal-fired power stations at Pyra to supply electricity to the national grid in a bid to fulfil country's growing demands for power.
The North West Power Generation Company Limited (NWPGCL) has also planned to set up a 1,320MW plant at Pyra.
Besides, some other government and private sector companies have also planned to set up at least five other coal-based power plants, each having 1,320MW capacity.
He said Pyra would be the second power generation hub in Bangladesh after the first one at Maheshkhali Island in the Bay of Bengal where the government has already acquired thousands of acres of land for setting up coal-and LNG-based power plants.
The APSCL chief Mr Sazzadur Rahman said they are carrying out a feasibility study on the 1320MW power station at Pyra.
"We plan to source the necessary coal from Indonesia to run the proposed power plant," he added.
APSCL is the Bangladesh's largest power generation company having an installed capacity of 1627MW a day. The power is generated from its station at Ashuganj in Brahmanbaria district.
