Chinese Giant To Buy Pakistani Power Company For $1.6b
Afp, Karachi
Chinese multinational Shanghai Electric is set to buy the utility serving Pakistan's biggest city of Karachi, in a $1.6 billion deal that will be the biggest private-sector acquisition in the country's history. China is making the investment as part of a $46 billion project unveiled last year that will link its western Xinjiang province to Pakistan's Gwadar port with a series of infrastructure, power and transport upgrades. –The Daily Star
Chinese Firm Gets Contract To Build Oil Pipeline
Rejaul Karim Byron
A project to set up a pipeline to carry oil from tankers in the Bay of Bengal to storage plants on the mainland will finally see the light of day after a six-year delay, but the cost will jump four times the initial amount.
The cabinet committee on economic affairs yesterday gave the go-ahead to China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau under a government-to-government deal to install the pipeline.
The cost of the project now stands at Tk 5,426 crore or $694 million, with China's Exim Bank giving $550.4 million in low-cost loans. It is expected to be completed by 2018.
When the project was first approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council in 2010, the cost was estimated at $159 million and was set to be implemented by 2012.
As the cost estimate rose to $632.82 million thanks to several amendments, the project was reapproved in December 2015.
A high official of Eastern Refinery Ltd said the project first proposed to build a single pipeline, but it was later changed to a double pipeline. The first project design was faulty and hence, a German consultant firm changed it, he added.
The cost went up due to changes in the design and extension of the timeframe, according to the official.
Under the project, the Single Point Mooring installation will be built in the Sonadia Island area at deep sea, where large oil tankers will anchor.
As per the latest project design, one large 36-inch pipeline will be built there to pump the oil to a storage plant 32km away on the Matarbari Island in Maheshkhali. Earlier, the length was 16km.
There will be another 18-inch pipeline that will be 188km long, which was 94km long previously. One pipeline will pump crude oil and the other diesel.
At present, large tankers anchor at deep sea and smaller ships unload and bring the oil to Eastern Refinery in Chittagong. The process called lightering is an expensive operation and takes 11 days to unload 1 lakh tonnes of oil. Other than time and cost, a lot of oil is systematically stolen during the process as well.
But if a pipeline is installed, it will take just two days to empty a vessel carrying such a volume of oil. This would cut cost and stop the pilferage, the official said.
According to ministry estimates, the pipeline will save the government Tk 1,000 crore a year and the project cost would be recovered in five to six years.
The Islamic Development Bank was initially expected to finance the project, but as the cost shot up, it withdrew.
Later, the Chinese government expressed its interest to finance the project and nominated China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau for the job. –The Daily Star
From Big Oil To Big Data: Inside Mukesh Ambani's $20b Start-Up
Reuters, Mumbai
AT the vast open-plan headquarters of Indian telecoms start-up Jio, billionaire oil tycoon Mukesh Ambani stands in short sleeves beneath a digital tracker that logs every new subscriber to his service.
The 59-year-old is India's richest man, and his Reliance Industries oil & gas group is the country's most profitable.
Now, though, he's betting at least $20 billion on building, from scratch, a national digital empire stretching from phones and hardware to home entertainment and custom-made apps.
The ambitious Jio project could make Reliance the most comprehensive provider of telecom and internet services across India - and give it unprecedented access to the country's untapped 'big data': how millions eat, shop and have fun.
"For Reliance... data is the new oil, and intelligent data is the new petrol," Ambani said in March, explaining his drive to move closer to India's consumers.
Reliance has said little publicly about Jio, and even less about the potential for wide-scale data mining in a country where consumers have not, to date, made a big deal about online privacy. But top executives are clear on the opportunity.
"It's called Deep Packet Inspection, and what you can do with the analytics of that is mind-boggling," said a senior Reliance executive, referring to a practice that digs into 'packets' of data created by computers for efficiency, mining them for information.
Jio is unlikely to contribute significantly to Reliance profits anytime soon, but is hugely significant for its future. Reliance has dabbled previously in consumer sectors, yet Jio is seen as an opportunity for Ambani to set a new course for a company still dominated by his late father, its founder.
Jio is also a potentially landmark opportunity for India, where smartphone usage has ballooned and services like mobile payments and online entertainment have become commonplace.
The prospect of Jio, which has not yet been commercially launched, has raised hopes of cheaper, more reliable data for Indian users. It has already drawn queues at some stores by offering free connections with unlimited data for a three-month period, allowing it to test its network.
That has stirred rivals. India's largest wireless provider Bharti Airtel this week cut its 3G/4G data tariffs on prepaid connections by more than 40 percent, after halving them a month ago.
But Jio - named from a Hindi exhortation to 'live on' - is behind schedule and over budget, say several former employees, who, like current staff interviewed by Reuters, did not want to be named. It was initially expected to launch by end-2014, with total capital expenditure within $15 billion, they said.
Reliance has never provided a specific date or figure, and declined to respond to specific queries for this article.
According to filings at the Commerce Ministry, Jio has more than 325 billion rupees ($4.9 billion) of long-term debt, and other liabilities topping 580 billion rupees, as of March. In addition, Reliance has spent over 290 billion rupees on Jio and is expected to invest more - all adding up to more than what it has been spending on its core refining and petrochemicals business.
Reliance says its oil business is pumping out cash, and any investment in Jio has to be ambitious.
Two-thirds of India's 1.3 billion population are not online, and Jio hopes to capture 100 million users - nearly half of India's current smartphone users - within a year of launch.
Ambani, who employees say taught himself to code, ran Reliance's nascent telecoms operations in the early 2000s, before a feud with his younger brother Anil triggered a split and a bitter non-compete deal. Mukesh took the family's energy business and Anil the communications assets, setting up Reliance Communications (RCom).
Before long though, Mukesh was laying fibre cables again and set up a subsidiary, Rancore, to build its own mobile telephony technology.
In 2010, Mukesh's Reliance Industries bought Infotel Broadband - on the day Infotel won nationwide spectrum - and decided it needed to offer more than a high-speed 4G network service. Instead, it would pitch an all-internet service, where even voice calls would be carried as data, cheaply, beating its rivals Airtel, Vodafone and Idea on quality and speed, according to Jio officials.
Airtel, Vodafone and Idea declined to comment on Jio.
Naveen Kulkarni, co-head of research at Phillip Capital, said the Jio technology was "very efficient from a cost point of view," but needs India's smartphone ecosystem to evolve, making it unlikely Reliance will make money from Jio for at least five years.
At Jio's biggest campus, a sprawling cluster of glass buildings, manicured lawns and giant Jio logos outside Mumbai, the scale of Ambani's vision is evident. Reuters was offered a rare opportunity to visit the site earlier this year.
The campus has 15,000 employees working for Jio alone, plus hundreds of consultants and service providers working alongside the group. There are large guest houses and hotels.
In a single hall, Reliance has put on show everything from its e-payment mechanism and music-streaming app to its messaging app, sleek Jio smartphones - sold at a fraction of the cost of an iPhone - connected cars, and even a replica home.
"As they go out, they will have a very aggressive posture," said Rajan Mathews, director general of the Cellular Operators Association of India.
On campus, Ambani, who flies in by helicopter once a week, was flanked at his desk by his eldest son, Akash, who is Jio's head of strategy, and by Manoj Modi, a long-serving adviser, and a reminder of the influence of trusted employees, most from the oil business. –The Daily Star
Asia's July Iran Oil Imports Rise 61pc
Reuters, Tokyo
Imports of Iranian oil by four major buyers in Asia in July jumped 61.1 percent from a year earlier, marking the biggest percentage gain since April 2014, reflecting Tehran's aggressive moves to recoup market share, lost under international sanctions.
Iran is regaining market share at a faster pace than analysts had projected since sanctions were lifted in January, and Iran's senior government official said it sees its oil production at 4 million barrels per day by year-end.
The four countries, South Korea, Japan, China and India, imported 1.64 million barrels per day (bpd) in July, government and ship-tracking data showed.
Japan's trade ministry on Wednesday released official data showing its imports jumped 61.8 percent from a year earlier to 256,651 bpd last month.
Imports by South Korea jumped more than fourfold last month, while India's imports more than doubled from a year ago. –The Daily Star
DPDC Fines 62 Establishments Over Tk 2 Crore During Month-Long Drive In Capital
Staff Correspondent
A special taskforce of Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd (DPDC) fined 62 establishments over Tk 2 crore during a month-long drive from August 1 in the capital for various irregularities including power pilferage and revenue dodging.
Four teams of the taskforce led by DPDC Chief Mohammad Munir Chowdhury unearthed 11.10 lakh unit power pilferages during the drive, says a press release.
The drives were conducted in several areas including Narayanganj, Maghbazar, Manik Nagar, Demra and Bangshal.
The taskforce disconnected 105 connections and seized different items including meter service wires and a generator. Four cases were filed. –The Daily Star
News Analysis
Rationalisation Of Gas Price A Distant Dream!
Shahiduzzaman Khan
The country's gas distribution companies are expected to make hefty profits this year if their gas price-hike proposal at, what appears to be, an unprecedented level, comes into effect. Without enforcing any hike, the Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited (KGDCL), to cite an example, is set to make profit as high as 55 per cent in the current fiscal. Imagine what will be the situation if the proposed hike plan by the regulator, ranging from 62 per cent to 140 per cent is enforced at its various tiers!
A technical committee attending the recent public hearing on its proposal observed that as the company is supposed to run on cost-plus basis, it does not otherwise need any hike in its margin over gas distribution. However, reports in the media indicate that the committee's suggestions do not hold any ground on the sensitive price-hike issue as the decision comes from the highest level.
The company, to mention, proposed, of late, to raise the price of the hydrocarbon at a rate between 62 per cent and 140 per cent for its various consumers with a view to rationalising hike in margin and meeting its increased expenditures.
According to the proposal of the gas utilities, the monthly gas tariffs for domestic consumers should be set at Tk 1,200 from the current level of Tk 650 for double-burner users and Tk 1,100 from Tk 600 for the single-burner users. This is almost the double of what the users are now paying for this utility service. Per cubic metre of gas for domestic metered-consumers is expected to be raised to Tk 16.80 from Tk 7.0.
There has already been widespread public outcry against such a markedly striking price-hike plan. The proposed hike, if it is finally approved, will invariably multiply public sufferings. This kind of hike will affect daily expenditure of the common people including day labourers. The poor will get poorer. It is not known why the government is keeping everybody guessing about, and remaining silent on, this vital issue.
Energy experts put a question mark as to where this hefty amount of profit will go. Many say the surplus profits earned through sales of petroleum products should be used for upgrading the state-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration Company (BAPEX).
The present trend suggests that the government has no immediate plan to reduce prices of the fuel oils in the local market although it said a number of months ago that it would lower such prices in phases, in three months' time, if the global fuel prices remained low.
After widespread criticism from all quarters, the government on April 25 did reduce the price of kerosene and diesel by only Tk 3.0, to Tk 65 per litre, and that of the price of petrol and octane by Tk 10 per litre. This did not have any discernable impact on the market and cost of living. Earlier in the same month, it lowered furnace oil price by Tk 18 per litre to Tk 42 to bring down electricity generation costs.
It looks like that the government was trying to maximise its earnings, capitalising on the lower price of fuel oil in the international market. The price of Brent Crude is still less than $50 per barrel. At this stage, a minister said the government has no plans to reduce the prices of fuel oils soon.
The issue of price adjustment of fuel oil is, he said, now dependent on the decision of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) over increasing the prices of natural gas. The price of fuel oils will only come down now if there is a drop in earnings through a hike in gas prices.
Reacting to such a situation, the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) said that the last fuel oil price cut only benefited the rich and the owners of transport vehicles and irrigation pumps, as the transport fares or the cost of irrigation for farmers did not come down simultaneously.
Critics say the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had failed to do justice to the poor people in the country. Earnings from duties and taxes from the sale of fuel oils were hidden. The sector was allowed to raise its earnings. The government, acting on their advice, raised the prices of diesel and kerosene by Tk 24 per litre and that for petrol and octane by Tk 22 per litre in four phases. Earlier, there were frequent rises in fuel prices that had raised the cost of living through inflation. Most sectors including transportation, kitchen market and service sectors were affected.
On the hydrocarbon issue, consumers alleged that the Titas was supplying them gas at much lower pressure -- and that too, containing lower heating value, than its contractual obligations to its clients. The company is also billing its clients based on the usual rates depriving the consumers of their entitlement.
However, many accuse the Titas employees of harassing consumers as it spends much time to fix a problem and demand bribe for every service it provides. Huge illegal connections apart, businesses also alleged that operations of the Titas were not transparent.
Meantime, the BERC reportedly observed that the gas distribution companies had flouted most of the directives that were issued by it one year ago to improve services, operational efficiency and financial transparency.
The utilities were asked to set up pre-paid meters at households and commercial spaces and set up Electronic Volume Corrector meters at all other consumers' premises. They were also asked to dismantle all illegal gas distribution networks and to snap all illegal gas connections. So far all these directives have gone unheeded.
It's 90 days time only from the last public hearing day to pronounce the verdict. In view of the current trends, amid many turns and twists, about the prices of the fuel oils in the global market, it will be interesting to see what stance the government takes on the gas price issue. –The Financial Express
Probe Body Blames Two Officials' Negligence For DAP Plant Gas Leak
Our Correspondent
CHITTAGONG, Aug 31: An inquiry committee formed by the Chittagong district administration has blamed two senior officials of the Di Ammonia Phosphate (DAP) fertilizer plant for the gas leak that pervaded around 10 kilometres causing damages to the flora and fauna of the locality.
Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Mesbah Uddin disclosed on Wednesday the findings of the enquiry committee headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Mamunur Rashid. ADC Rashid was also present at the press meet held at the conference hall of the district administration.
Mesbah Uddin said the entire security system at the DAP factory at Anwara in Chittagong collapsed on August 20 last, just two days ahead of the incident. But the two senior officers responsible for doing the repair did not take any step in this regard. He named the two officials as deputy chief engineer Dilip Kumar Barua and general manager (technical and maintenance) Md Naquibul Islam.
"As these two officers responsible for repairing the technical fault had not taken necessary steps following collapse of the technical system on August 20, the devastating incident occurred," he said quoting the enquiry committee report.
Their negligence to duties was mentioned in the report. They cannot stay in their posts any longer and they should be immediately suspended and brought to book and the compensation be deducted from their salaries, the report recommended.
"So long as they are in their positions, the plant is not safe for anybody," the DC observed.
The two concerned officials were responsible for safety of the plant as the technicians failed to repair the fault. But they did not do that, he said.
Md Naquibul Islam told the enquiry committee that he did not deem it his routine work and so he did not visit the plant himself in person. –The Financial Express
Shahjalal Fertiliser Awaits ‘Faulty Start’
JAGARAN CHAKMA
The Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) is likely to begin production at the Shahjalal Fertiliser Factory at Fenchuganj in Sylhet despite several glaring technical errors.
According to a study of the Shahjalal Fertiliser Project (SFP) available with The Independent, there is no technical personnel competent enough to solve any instrumental or mechanical problem at the factory.
An insider said that despite being well aware of the faults, the BCIC will start production at a high risk.
According to the study, the natural gas (NG) supply pressure is 850 PSIG, while the required pressure is 700 PSIG. This will result in the loss of energy and extra cost in the installation of NG metering.
It said there is no bypass line to supply NG to the NG booster compressor and the metering station of SFP. In the case of any problem in the booster compressor and metering station, the entire plant has to be shut down.
Also, there is no provision for supplying steam or producing air coil on this line. So, the coil will become overheated (temperature will rise to 600 degrees Celsius).
The study found that vessel and pipeline insulation is not properly done, and workmanship is very poor. The dry-gas-sealing system is problematic. Replacement is tough, time-consuming, and costly.
The boil-of-gas (BOG) recovery has not been done properly. The report also found that no isolation value has been installed at the outlet of cooling water of the ammonia condenser.
The water treatment automation does not function properly and the fire safety system is also very poor. There are no support vehicles to help fight a fire.
The NG condensate collection system is not hooked properly either. Hence, condensate drains out into the open drainage line.
Project director Mohammad Qumruzzaman ruled out the allegation of technical faults. According to him, the work has been done according to the agreement with contractor China National Complete Plant Import and Export Corporation. However, he agreed with the allegation that more spare parts are needed and emphasized the need for a storage system to stock urea.
Earlier, assistant engineer Mustafizur Rahman had told the media, “Some problems were found in the auto-compressor section, which is meant for cooling down some machines.”
The trial production was disrupted in mid-August after a fault was detected in the methane attar cooler section of the factory, officials said.
In all, Tk. 5,409 crore was spent to build the plant. The technology came from the US, Japan, and the Netherlands, officials said.
The government of China and the Exim Bank of China jointly provided 70 per cent of the cost—Tk. 3,986 crore—as a concession loan at a 2 per cent interest rate. The amount has to be repaid in 20 years. The rest came from the Bangladeshi government.The factory was supposed to begin operations in August, but the construction was delayed due to political unrest in the country, the SFF project director said.
The factory has a daily production capacity of 1,760 tonnes of urea fertiliser and 1,000 tonnes of ammonia-based fertiliser per day, the officials said. –The Independent
Australia Keen To Help Energy, Education
New envoy meets PM
UNB
Australia has expressed its interest to further strengthen bilateral cooperation with Bangladesh in different sectors, particularly in energy and education, reports UNB.
“We want to further consolidate our cooperation with Bangladesh in different sectors, particularly in energy and education,” said newly appointed Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Julia Niblett when she paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office on Wednesday. After the meeting, PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters.
Highly praising Bangladesh’s economic growth under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Australian envoy described Bangladesh as the champion of economic development and women empowerment.
The Australian high commissioner lauded the performance of Bangladesh cricket team and said a memorandum of understanding on sports sector cooperation between the two countries is expected to be signed soon.
Mentioning terrorism a global problem, Sheikh Hasina said, “We’re creating mass awareness against terrorism and militancy through involving people of all strata, including religious leaders and teachers ... we’re getting tremendous response from people to this end.”
The prime minister also said she had already arranged a videoconference with cross section people of 64 districts to mobilise public opinion against terrorism and militancy.
She expressed Bangladesh’s interest in greater collaboration with Australia in the fields of trade, investment, education, sports and culture. “We would like to see greater collaboration with Australia in matters related to trade, investment, education, sports and culture,” Hasina added.
Elaborating various steps of her government for the development of the womenfolk, she said no country could achieve its desired progress excluding women, the half of the total population, from the development process.
Hasina said the success of women is everywhere in Bangladesh and they are now in an equal stage along with their male partners in education, games and sports and creative works. In this regard, she mentioned that the country’s women are now in very high position in all sectors like administration, judiciary, education, as well as the armed forces and law-enforcement agencies. –The Independent
Amu Off To India To Join Global Ceos Forum
BSS
A five-member delegation led by Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu yesterday left the capital for India to join the “9th India 2016 Global Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) Forum” on chemical and petrochemical, reports BSS.
The other members of the team are Bangladesh Fertilizer Association (BFA) chairman and lawmaker Kamrul Ashraf Khan Poton, Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) chairman Mohammed Iqbal, BCIC Director (Technical) M Ali Akkas and Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Industries Mahbub-Ul-Alam, said a press release.
The forum will be held as part of three-day international exhibition and conference titled “9th India Chem 2016” from September 01 at Mumbai in India.
Chemical and Petroleum Division of Indian Chemical and Fertilizer Affairs Ministry and Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) are jointly organising the event.
At the forum, discussion on searching the existing potentiality of chemical and petrochemical industry and process of using the potentiality in the green industry will be held. –The Independent
CTG GAS TANK BLAST
Probe Body For Action Against 2 Officials
UNB
A probe body has recommended withdrawal and divisional action against two top officers of Di-Ammonium Phosphate Fertiliser (DAP) Company Ltd in Anwara upazila over the ammonia tank explosion nine days ago, causing at least 50 workers to fall sick, reports UNB.
The report prepared by the district administration’s probe body said general manager (maintenance) of the factory Nakibul Islam and deputy chief engineer (electricity) Dikip Kumar Barua ‘did not perform their duty properly’.
After submission of the report on Wednesday, deputy commissioner Mesbah Uddin told reporters about its major findings and recommendations at his office. Additional district magistrate Mominur Rashid, who headed the probe body, was also present there.
Mesbah Uddin said the probe body has recommended withdrawal and divisional punishment of the two officers.
“There were five types of equipments for the safety of the ammonia tank; of them all were dysfunctional,” he said adding the 500 tonnes capacity tank was filled with around 340 tonnes of gas during the explosion.
Among those safety equipments, the cooling/refrigeration compressor of the tank had been dysfunctional for three years.
Besides, two pressure gauges of the tank that are used to calculate the pressure inside the tank had been dysfunctional for long.
One of the two pressure transmitters - which is a part of the automatic DCS system - had been dysfunctional for long while the functional one also got damaged the day before the accident.
In addition, the two pressure vents of the tank - which are used to release gas in times of excessive pressure inside the tank – were dysfunctional during the explosion.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC, which runs the factory, formed a 10-member committee to investigate the incident.
The emission of toxic ammonia at the fertiliser factory was brought under control on August 23, some 11 hours after one of two smaller 500-tonne capacity ammonia storage tanks exploded. Fifty people, including women, were admitted to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH). –The Independent
Probe Report on Ammonia Tank Blast
Two Officials Responsible, Operators Lack Training
Nur Uddin Alamgir
CHITTAGONG: The three-member probe committee formed by Chittagong district administration held two officials, the deputy chief engineer and the general manager, responsible for the explosion of ammonia tank at DAP Fertiliser Factory in Chittagong.
The officials are Deputy Chief Engineer (Power) Dilip Kumar Barua and General Manager (Technical and Maintenance Services) Md Nakibul Islam.
The committee in its report recommended removal of the officials, departmental punishment and realising compensation from their gratuity.
Chittagong Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mesbah Uddin informed journalists of the probe report findings at his conference room on Wednesday.
The DC said as per the probe report the accident caused a loss ranging from Tk 5 crore to Tk 6 crore due to damage to the tank while installation of a new tank will cost around Tk 20 crore to Tk 22 crore.
Besides, emission of the gas destroyed fish worth around Tk 1.27 crore and livestock worth Tk 2 lakh, he said.
Regarding the damage to environment the DC said it is tough to assess the damage, but the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) concerned was assigned to assess the damage. Chittagong Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Mominur Rashid headed the committee that consisted of Anwara UNO Goutam Baroi and Officer in-Charge of Karnaphuli police station Rafiqul Islam as members.
The committee in its report said the factory remained shut due to lack of power supply from the PDB since August 20. The tank blasted at around 10:30pm on August 22 and was blown off to some 20 feet from its base.
Some 340 metric tonnes of ammonia gas was emitted into the air. The DAP authority had to depend on CUFL, Kafco and fire service for tackling the accident as they lacked fire fighting arrangement and safety unit.
The gas spread to the other bank of the Karnaphuli river causing sufferings to people of Patenga, Airport and Halishahar areas in the city. Some 47 persons who were staying in the factory during the explosion fell sick and most of them were Ansar men, read the report.
The committee found that all the five types of manual and automatic safety arrangements including refrigeration cooling system, two pressure gauges, two important computers for monitoring gas pressure, two pressure vents and a flare system of the tank had been out of order since long or didn’t work during the accident.
The tank exploded due to huge pressure. But, those engaged for operating the tank and ensuring its safety don’t have any necessary training. The matter astonished the investigators.
The maintenance department was informed of problems by the operating department earlier. Technicians were sent for fixing them, but they failed.
Engineer Dilip Barua and GM Nakibul Islam were responsible for monitoring the work of the technicians.
They didn’t monitor the safety system or take any step to fix it themselves. They didn’t even feel necessary to visit the plant, the committee said.
The committee also said the factory Executive Engineer (Power) Kazi Masudur Rahman claimed to have construction fault at the plant to avoid their responsibility.
From the attitude and lack of responsibility of Dilip and Nakibul it appeared to the committee that the plant is not safe for anyone as long as such persons are there.
The five-point recommendation made by the committee included development of management and inter-departmental coordination, transparency and accountability, establishing a strong chain of command among officials and employees and establishing DAP’s own fire fighting and safety unit.
Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) also formed a 10-member technical committee and it submitted a report on August 28.
Emission of the gas with pungent smell from the factory also took toll on the environment and biodiversity of the surrounding areas where dead fish were found floating while domestic animals also died. –The Daily Sun
1320MW Coal-Fired Plant To Be Set Up In Gaibandha
Mega plant to use Barapukuria coal
Shamim Jahangir
The government will set up a 1320 megawatts (MW) coal-fired power plant in the public sector on the bank of Jamuna River at Fulchari in Gaibandha.
The proposed plant will use coal from Barapukuria coalmine.
The decision came at a meeting of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources with State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid in the chair.
State-run Ashuganj Power Station Company Limited (APSCL) will implement and finance the mega plant.
“We have already visited two sites in Gaibandha and Sirajganj and finally selected the site at Fulchari in Gaibandha for setting up dual-unit power plant,” APSCL Managing Director AMM Sazzadur Rahman told daily sun on Wednesday.
“We are hopeful of inviting a tender to conduct a feasibility study of the proposed plant early next year,” he informed.
The government is targeting to generate around 8,000MW of electricity using local locally produced coal by 2030 to take the country’s electricity generation capacity to 40,000MW, Sazzadur Rahman said.
The government would require 7 million tonnes coal a year to generate 20,000MW of electricity from coal by 2030.
The site of the proposed plant is 100 km from the Barapukuria coal mine in railway.
The country’s lone coalmine in Barapukuria currently produces only 1 million tonne of coal a year.
After developing the Digipara coalfield, the Barapukuria Coal Mining Company expects to increase the country’s coal production to 20,000 tonnes a day from existing 2,000 tonnes. –The Daily Sun
Best Utilisation of Land
Power Hub Master Plan To Be Finalised Soon
Staff Correspondent
The government is going to finalise a power hub master plan, in order to utilise the best use of land, an official said.
The power division will hold a meeting today in this regard with State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid in the chair.
“We have three power hubs, especially Ghorasal, Baghabari and Khulna under Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB),” power cell director general Mohammed Hossain told daily sun Wednesday.
He said the government has primarily prepared a draft policy of the three hubs.
He added the under construction hub at Moheshkhali, Matarbari and Paira will also be accommodated under the hub.
“Our target is the best utilisation of the land to generate electricity,” the Power Cell Director General said.
Earlier, the premier directed the ministry of power energy and mineral resources to utilise the land properly.
The government are now facing different problem to acquire land for conducting development projects. –The Daily Sun
Amu Off To India To Join Global Ceos Forum
A five-member delegation led by Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu on Wednesday left the capital for India to join the “9th India 2016 Global Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) Forum” on chemical and petrochemical.
The other members of the team are Bangladesh Fertilizer Association (BFA) chairman and lawmaker Kamrul Ashraf Khan Poton, Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) chairman Mohammed Iqbal, BCIC Director (Technical) M Ali Akkas and Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Industries Mahbub-Ul-Alam, reports BSS.
The forum will be held as part of three-day international exhibition and conference titled “9th India Chem 2016” from September 01 at Mumbai in India.
Chemical and Petroleum Division of Indian Chemical and Fertilizer Affairs Ministry and Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) are jointly organising the event. –The Daily Sun
Oil Prices Dip On Stronger Dollar, Iran Output Fear
SINGAPORE: Oil prices extended losses in Asia Wednesday on the back of a strong dollar while reported comments by Iran’s oil minister that his country planned to boost output ramped up oversupply worries.
The comments by Bijan Zangeneh, carried by Iran’s official news agency on Tuesday, added to a feeling that an informal OPEC meeting with Russia in September may not result in a deal that would boost prices, reports AFP.
Zangeneh said Iran needed to raise its output to regain the market share lost while it was under international sanctions, which were lifted only in January.
Iran has struggled to raise production above four million barrels per day since the the sanctions were removed, according to the report, which said it is currently producing 3.8 million.
At around 0415 GMT, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate was down one cent at $46.34 and Brent eased six cents to $48.31.
“A generally strengthening dollar added to oils woes,” said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at OANDA.
“Combined with increasing scepticism regarding OPEC’s ability to bring in meaningful production cuts, the soft tone in oil should continue through the Asia session today,” he told AFP.
The dollar bought 103 yen in Tokyo Wednesday, up from the previous day’s 102.42 yen and much stronger than the levels below 100 yen touched last week.
A stronger greenback makes crude more expensive for holders of weaker currencies, denting demand.
The greenback has been gaining rallying since Federal Reserve boss Janet Yellen on Friday signalled a possible hike in US interest rates this year.
Traders are now awaiting the release this coming Friday of US jobs figures, which will give a fresh handle on the US economy and could guide the Fed’s decision on when to hike rates. –The Daily Sun
