Sembcorp has commenced full commercial operations at the Sirajganj 414MW Unit 4 combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant, located at Sirajganj, Bangladesh.
As per Sembcorp, the Sirajganj Unit 4 CCGT project, which is construction with an investment of $412m (£328m), is the country’s first public-private partnership power plant backed by foreign investment. The plant is powered by gas and is supported by high-speed diesel as backup fuel.
The power plant was developed by Sembcorp North-West Power Company, a joint venture between Sembcorp and Bangladesh’s state-owned North-West Power Generation Company. Sembcorp and North-West Power own 71% and 29% stake in the facility, respectively.
Electricity generated from the power plant will be supplied to Bangladesh Power Development Board under a 22-year power purchase agreement.
Sembcorp’s global gas & power business head Sriram Narayanan said: “The successful completion of Sirajganj Unit 4, Sembcorp’s first power plant in Bangladesh, is a significant milestone for the Group.
“I would like to congratulate our team on the ground, and also thank our partner, North-West Power Generation Company, the government of Bangladesh, our lenders and the local community, for their valuable support.
“Now that the plant has come onstream, it is set to provide an efficient, reliable supply of energy to meet Bangladesh’s growing power demand, supporting the country’s development for years to come.”
Last October, first phase operations in single-cycle mode began for the duel-fuel power plant.
Sembcorp secured financing for the project in December 2016
In December 2016, Sembcorp secured project financing for this project from International Finance Corporation (IFC), Singapore-based infrastructure project financing firm, Clifford Capital and CDC Group, the UK government’s development finance institution, have each contributed $103m (£81.5m) in the total project finance debt.
Earlier this month, the company also inaugurated the 225MW Sembcorp Myingyan Power Plant in Myanmar. Built at a cost of $310m (£245m), this is claimed to be the largest combined-cycle gas turbine plant in the country. It also features advanced technology that can maximise power output while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
