First waste-to-energy plant gets go-ahead

The government has given the approval to set up a waste-based power plant – first of its kind in the country – at Amin Bazar landfill under the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC).

The China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC), a Chinese construction and engineering company, has been tasked with the responsibility to build the power plant – generating some 42.5 megawatts every day using around 3,000 tonnes of waste collected from the DNCC areas. The 25-year agreement will cost the government Tk 15,325.43 crore.

The Cabinet Committee on Public Procurement, chaired by Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, approved the proposal in a virtual meeting on Thursday.

Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal, additional secretary to the cabinet division, said the Cabinet Committee on Public Procurement has approved the proposal to set up a waste-based power plant, first time in the country, at Amin Bazar landfill.

Power generated from the waste-to-energy plant will be sold to the government at Tk 18.295 per kilowatt, he added.

The secretary said the cabinet committee meeting approved a total of eight procurement proposals.

Of them, five proposals came from the industries ministry, one from the agriculture ministry, one from the Power Division, and one from the Road Transport and Highways Division.

All the eight proposals will involve Tk 16,271.48 crore. Of the total amount, Tk 15,628.26 crore will be spent from the government and Tk 643.27 crore will be borrowed from domestic banks.