Maheshkhali power station (Huadian)
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Maheshkhali power station (Huadian) is a cancelled power station in Maheshkhali, Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Bangladesh. It is also known as Chittagong Coal-2, Moheshkhali power station.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Maheshkhali power station (Huadian) | Maheshkhali, Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Bangladesh | 21.634145, 91.898492 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2: 21.634145, 91.898492
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | cancelled | coal - unknown | 660 | ultra-supercritical | 2027 | – |
| Unit 2 | cancelled | coal - unknown | 660 | ultra-supercritical | 2027 | – |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner |
|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Huadian Chittagong [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | Huadian Chittagong [100.0%] |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): imported
Background
In April 2014, the Financial Express reported that the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) was expected to sign a deal with China Huadian Hong Kong Limited to build a 1,320 MW coal plant at Maheshkhali Island in Cox's Bazar district.[1]
In August 2017 it was reported that the BPDB had signed memoranda of understandings to build four coal-fired power plants of 1,320 MW each at the Maheshkhali power complex, with China Huadian, a Malaysian Consortium of Tenaga Nasional Berhad, Korean KEPCO, and China SEPCO:[2]
- Maheshkhali power station (BPDB/TNB) (Malaysian Consortium)
- Maheshkhali power station (Huadian)
- Maheshkhali power station (KEPCO)
- Maheshkhali power station (PowerChina) (SEPCO)
Initial location uncertainty
The location of the project was initially uncertain. According to a February 2014 report by mining engineer Mushfiqur Rahman, a China Huadian Hong Kong representative was due to visit Bangladesh in December 2013 to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to develop a 1,320 MW project in Anwara upazila, Chittagong district. Anwara upazila is located approximate 30 km north of Maheshkhali Island.
Joint venture
China Huadian Hong Kong and BPDB was set to form a dedicated joint venture company for implementing the project with loans provided by Chinese banks.[3]
In February 2016, it was reported that the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), China Huadian, Tenaga Nasional Berhar (TNB), Powertek Energy, and Malaysia would form a joint venture to built a 2 x 660 MW coal in Maheshkhali, planned for operation in 2019.[4] The project could therefore have been merging with the Maheshkhali TNB power station, proposed by BPDB and Malaysia's Tenaga Nasional Berhad and Powertek.
However, in May 2018, BPDB and China Huadian signed an agreement to form a joint venture company to set up a 1,320 MW coal plant at Moheshkhali island. The joint venture would be equally owned by both the companies.[5] BPDB and Huadian signed another agreement in December 2018.[6]
November 2018 government plan
The plant appeared to be listed in the Bangladesh 2016 Master Plan "Revisited", released in November 2018, as "Moheshkhali 1200 MW USCPP JV of BPDB & CHDHK, China." It had a planned commissioning date of 2027.[7]
Cancellation news
On November 19, 2020, The Daily Star reported that Bangladesh's power, energy and mineral resources ministry had finalized an energy plan that cancelled all coal plants except five under construction.[8] The power station would likely be cancelled as a result.
In June 2021, the Bangladesh State Minister for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources announced the government was officially dropping ten coal plant projects in its master energy plan totaling over 8 GW of power due to delays in implementation. Two 1,320 MW Maheshkhali coal plants were cancelled, but the Maheshkhali power station (Huadian) was not clearly among the ten cancelled coal plants.[9]
In October 2021, the Bangladesh Working Group on External Debt (BWGED) and News Founded also wrote that the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) was expected to cancel six additional coal-fired power plants planned to be developed on the Maheshkhali Islands. The government was reportedly planning to convert the six power plants from coal to LNG and renewable energy.[10][11]
Based on this news, the power station appears to be cancelled.
Background on Maheshkhali power complex
Maheshkhali power station was part of a large multi-plant complex being organized by the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB). In August 2013, Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) announced that it intended to develop a multi-plant power complex at Cox's Bazaar, including both coal-fired plants and combined cycle gas-fired plants. The announcement stated that the BPDB "intends to build 6000 MW Ultra Super Critical Coal Based Thermal Power Plant and 3000 MW LNG Based Combined Cycle Power Plant in different phases at Maheshkhali Upazila in Cox’s Bazar District." The announcement stated that the fuel for the projects would be imported coal and liquified natural gas. Five thousand acres were in the process of acquisition, situated within Amabassaya, Honanok and Panir Chhara mouza of Hoanok Union and Gharibhanga mouza of Kutubjhom union under Maheshkhali upazila, Cox’s Bazar.
Additional information is available at Maheshkhali power complex.
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ "Deal likely with Chinese firm for another coal-fired power plant," The Financial Express, April 9, 2014
- ↑ "PDB plans 13,500MW at Moheshkhali Power Hub," Bangladesh Post, November 18, 2017
- ↑ "Primary Energy Supply Challenges for Power," Bangladesh - Audacity of Hope, February 14, 2014
- ↑ "1,350 MW coal-fired twin power plants in Maheshkhali soon," Daily Observer, February 26, 2016
- ↑ "Bangladesh signs deal with China to set up coal-based power plant," Reuters, May 7, 2018
- ↑ "Joint venture agreement signed for Chittagram project," China Daily, 27 December 27, 2018
- ↑ 2016 Master Plan "Revisited", Bangladesh Power Division, November 2018
- ↑ "Future not coal power," The Daily Star, November 19, 2020
- ↑ "10 coal-fired power projects scrapped as part of master plan revision," UNB, June 27, 2021
- ↑ “GOB is to cancel 6 more coal power plants,” BWGED, Hasan Mehedi, October 29, 2021
- ↑ "Six other coal-fired power plants were canceled," News Founded, undated (referencing October 8, 2020 letter)
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
