|
News | Web Resources | Yellow Pages | Free Advertising | Chat
Bangladesh |
Immigration |
E-cards |
Horoscope |
Matrimonial |
|
Change Your Life! |
PDB finally accepts Japanese Marubeni’s proposal of power plant |
|
News
|
|
|
January 18, 2001
Dhaka-- (UNB) – After hectic negotiations, Power Development Board has accepted the proposal of Japanese Marubeni for setting up a 450-megawatt power plant at Meghnaghat under the second phase of the project. “We accepted the proposal of the Marubeni for the power station at Meghnaghat. We will send it to the ministry for its consideration,” a member of the PDB told UNB yesterday (Wednesday). Officials said the PDB in a board meeting Tuesday evening approved Marubeni’s final proposal. The proposal is likely to be sent to the Energy Ministry this week. After examination, if the ministry finds the proposal worth, the bid will go to the Cabinet Purchase Committee for final approval. In the first phase, the government had signed an agreement with AES of USA for a similar capacity power station at Meghnaghat. Later the government started negotiation with Marubeni for another power station with the same price and condition it had with the AES. But in the negotiation table, Marubeni said it found some unrealistic clauses in the agreement signed with the AES and pointed out a big loophole –- dimmed dispatch clause -- relating to providing power free of cost from the US company. Keeping the main structure of the agreement signed between the AES and the government, the Marubeni proposed some changes for what they said making the deal realistic. The Marubeni in its proposal offered a 39-million dollar financial package and said it would hand over the 139 million kilowatt-hour-power station to the PDB free of cost in the last and 22nd year of operation. As complicated disputes between PDB and Meghnaghat-1 sponsor AES on land issues dragged on, the Marubeni further offered an extra Tk 51 crore benefit for the government only from the land of its site. Furthermore, it said, Marubeni will be willing to forgo the rights as given to the American firm AES by PDB to claim 4.5 million dollars for rectification of the Phase-1 land and Tk 6.72 crore as liquidated damage. In the negotiation process, the Marubeni also said ultimately they would provide the government with 165 million dollars higher benefit than the AES as the price of the power station during the handing over will stand at Tk 100 million dollars. But Marubeni will consider the price as only 5.7 million dollars as it will be given in the 22nd year. After signing the agreement, the Marubeni will complete the project work within 36 months. It will be the third land power plant in private sector in the country. |