Dhaka: Aiming to set up another coal-fired power plant at Maheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar, the government has launched a project to conduct feasibility study and environmental assessment, according to a BSS report.

Bangladesh and Singapore would jointly set up the 700 MW ultra-super critical coal-based power plant.

‘We will conduct a study to assess the viability and environmental impact to implement the project minimizing all the probable impacts,’ said planning minister A H M Mustafa Kamal.

Apart from the study, necessary land would also be acquired for the power plant, he added.

The planning minister informed that Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has already cleared the project; ‘land acquisition, protection and feasibility study for Bangladesh-Singapore 700 MW ultra-super critical coal-based power plant with Taka 746 crore’.

According to officials of the planning ministry, on April 2015, the power, energy and mineral resources ministry signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with International Enterprise, Singapore to implement the project.

Under the MoU, Bangladesh government will first develop land and infrastructure and then a joint company will be formed to implement the project.

The main project may cost more than $1 billion while the primary cost for acquiring land and infrastructure development has been estimated at Tk 7.45 billion.

The government will contribute Taka 7.17 billion to the primary cost while the remaining will be provided by the Coal Power Generation Company

Bangladesh Limited (CPGCBL), said the officials.

Meanwhile, the government has launched two more mega projects for 600X2 MW super ultra critical coal-fired power plants funded by Japan which are under construction in Maheshkhali.

For the latest venture, the government has to spend Tk 5 billion for acquiring 1,350 acres of land, making roads, developing land and constructing protection embankments.

CPGCBL is entrusted to implement the feasibility study and land acquisition by December, 2018.

The planning minister said the government has taken the mega project in line with the ‘power system master plan-2010’ which also aims at ensuring power connection for all by 2021.