Another 200-megawatt diesel-fired power station has started generating electricity under fast-track procedure at Daudkandi in Cumilla.

Bangla Trac Power Unit-1 Ltd, a local company, is adding 200MW electricity to the national grid from April 24.

Now, Bangla Trac Power Unit-1 and Unit-2 together are adding 300MW electricity to the national grid.

Bangla Trac Group’s Managing Director Tarique Ekramul Haque said, “Although we delayed a bit commissioning our plant for various external and internal reasons, I am glad that as a local company we have been able to come on line ahead of others.”

Bangla Trac could not complete the commissioning of these projects without the assistance of Bangladesh Power Development Board and the Power Division, he said.

“Also as a dealer of caterpillar machinery in Bangladesh, this is a milestone for us in continuing to help develop the power infrastructure of the country,” Tarique said.  

Company’s Chairman Mohammad Aminul Haque said, “A fully dedicated team has long been working hard to meet the growing demand for electricity in Bangladesh. We are really excited to successfully add another 200MW electricity to the national grid.”

The government, however, realized around Tk 100 crore in liquidated damages (LD) from five private power stations, including Bangla Trac, for delay in commencing electricity generation.

As per the condition set by Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), the five diesel-fired power plants were scheduled to start producing electricity from February 9 this year. 

The power plants include 100MW Awarahati and 100MW Bramhanga power plants in Keraniganj, a 100 MW power plant at Noapara in Jashore, a 200 MW plant at Daudkandi in Comilla and a 300 MW plant at Pangaon in Keraniganj.

“We have delayed commissioning the fast-track projects as the customs have sought advanced income tax (AIT) for importing the capital machinery to implement the power projects,” an sponsor of power plant told daily sun.

He added that the customs only favours foreign companies instead of supporting local companies.

“The upcoming furnace oil-fired power projects will face such a delay if the customs would force us to pay AIT though the government allows us AIT exemption on the import,” he said.    

The power producers will have to pay $200 per megawatt in liquidated damages for missing the deadline.

The government took the initiative to generate the 800 MW new electricity from high-speed diesel-fired plants to meet the electricity demand during the summer.  These five projects were approved as fast-track projects in July last year with a tariff at Tk 25.4171 per unit.