The government is going to set up four solar power plants to generate 420 megawatts (MW) of electricity for 20 years.

The cabinet committee on public purchase yesterday approved proposals of Bangladesh Power Development Board in this regard, according to a press release.

As per the proposals, a 240 MW plant will be set up in Trishal of Mymensingh through a joint venture of Energon Renewables (BD) Ltd, one of Orion Group's concerns, and PWR Energy Trading LLC.

The plant will approximately cost Tk 8,553.60 crore while the unit price will be Tk 10.995 per kilowatt hour (kWh).

Another 30 MW solar power plant will be established in Chakaria of Cox's Bazar by a consortium of DH Euro Hitech Co. Ltd of South Korea and NewTech Solar Energy BD Ltd of Bangladesh at an estimated Tk 1,072.80 crore.

Its unit price will be Tk 11.03 per kWh.

Another 50 MW solar power plant will be set up in Cox's Bazar sadar upazila by Joules Power Ltd at an approximate cost of Tk 1,771.20 crore and unit price of Tk 10.94 per kWh.

Apart from that, the consortium of Asian Entech Power Corporation Ltd and Axia Power Holdings B.V. Company will set up a 100 MW solar power plant in Mongla of Bagerhat.

The investment will cost approximately Tk 3,564 crore and the unit price will be Tk 10.99 per kWh.

The cabinet committee also approved two proposals of the Directorate General of Food under the food ministry to import 1 lakh tonnes of wheat from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Singapore for Tk 348.9 crore.

Of them, 50,000 tonnes of wheat will be imported from M/S Cereal Crops Trading LLC of UAE at Tk 175.5 crore while another 50,000 tonnes of wheat would be bought from M/S Agrocorp International Pte Ltd of Singapore at Tk 173.40 crore.

The committee also allowed the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) to purchase 6,000 tonnes of lentils locally from Islam Trading in Chattogram at Tk 62.28 crore in fiscal year 2023-24 and 60 lakh litres of rice bran oil from Majumdar Products Ltd and MRT Agro Products BD Ltd at Tk 94.50 crore.

It also approved another proposal of Petrobangla to import 33.60 lakh MMBTUs (million British thermal units) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from M/S Excelerate Energy LP in USA at a total cost of Tk 542.27 crore.

by thedailystar