Tk890cr Shahjibazar 100 MW power plant lies idle for years

The Shahjibazar 100 MW Gas Turbine Power Plant in Habiganj has remained out of operation for a long period despite being built at a cost of around Tk890 crore, raising questions over the project's implementation and expected benefits.
The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB)-owned plant in Shahjibazar of Madhabpur upazila was built by China Cable Corporation Limited. Although the plant was commissioned on a trial basis in February 2021, it could operate for only 67 days, or 1,610 hours, over the following four years.
The plant was finally shut down on 20 April 2024, after repeated failures of its gas turbine blades prevented it from entering regular commercial operation.
According to project data, construction of the plant began in February 2018, with the initial target of completing the work by 2020. However, the project could not be completed within the stipulated time, and its duration was later extended until 2024. The plant was again put into trial operation in April 2024, but a turbine blade broke during the trial run. Since then, generation has remained suspended.

The authorities have taken an initiative to procure replacement blades from the United States. AKM Mofiz Uddin Ahmed, manager of the 100 MW power plant, said the blades would be brought from the US.
He said the plant is now expected to resume generation in June 2027.
According to the BPDB sources, around Tk600 crore has already been paid to the contractor, while the remaining amount has been withheld as the project has not been fully completed.
However, the contractor's comment explaining the delay in completing the project and the prolonged process of procuring replacement blades could not be obtained, despite repeated attempts.
The plant, which was expected to add 100 MW of electricity to the national grid, has thus remained largely idle after a limited trial operation. Its prolonged closure has raised concerns over the project's cost-effectiveness and whether the intended benefits have been achieved.