Khulna: The government has taken initiatives to construct two power plants with a total generation capacity of 1,130 MW on the bank of river Bhairab at Khalishpur industrial belt in the southwestern industrial city, Khulna.

Power Development Board (PDB) officials said under the government plan, one of the units with 800 mw capacity would be set up inside Khulna News Print Mills and the other with 330MW production capacity would be installed at Goalpara Power House area.

PDB would oversee the construction of the plants to be built as joint venture projects with Chinese Harbin Etarney China being its partners.

Officials said the construction works were expected to start in February this year.

Earlier, ECNEC has Okayed the projects for constructing dual-fuel combined cycle power plants in Khulna at a cost of Taka 3,254 crore.

Of the amount, Chinese Exim Bank will finance Taka 2,014 crore in the project, while PDB would provide the remaining Taka 1,240 crore.

On 17 November in 2016, an agreement was signed between Harbin and Etarney China Joint Venture and PDB to construct the power stations in Khulna.