The Rampal power station is a proposed 1320 megawatt coal-fired power plant located near the Sundarbans mangrove forest in Bangladesh. The plant is a joint project between Bangladesh and India, with financing from both countries' governments as well as loans. While the Bangladeshi government claims environmental precautions will be taken, opposition argues the plant will endanger the nearby Sundarbans world heritage site through pollution, coal transportation, and water usage. Experts and environmental groups are calling for the plant's relocation to protect the fragile ecosystem.
3. Introduction
The Rampal power station,
also known as the Maitree
Super Thermal Power Project,
is a proposed 1320 Megawatt
coal-fired power station at
Rampal Upazila of Bagerhat
District in Khulna, Bangladesh.
It’s situated 14 kilometres
north of the world's largest
mangrove forest Sundarbans
which is a UNESCO world
heritage site. It will be the
4. Project Details
Sponsor: Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company
(BIFPC).
Parent company: Bangladesh Power
Development Board(BPDB), National Thermal
Power Corporation (NTPC).
Location: Khulna, Bangladesh.
Projected Area: 1834 acres
Gross Capacity: 1320 MW (2 x 660 MW)
Type: Ultra-Supercritical
Coal Source: Imported (through the Port of Mongla).
Project in service: 2021
5. Financing
• Bangladesh and India will equally share up to 30 %
(each 15%) of the capital of this project as equity.
• The remainder of the capital, which might be equivalent
to USD 1.5 billion, will be taken as bank loans with help
from the NTPC.
6. Agreement
In August 2010, this project was signed between
Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and India's
state-owned National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).
On January 29, 2012, the Bangladesh Power Development
Board signed an agreement with NTPC to build the plant
Agreed to implement the project by 2016.
The BPDB and the NTPC agreed to implement the project
on a 50:50 equity basis.
The NTPC will set up and operate the plant.
7. Government position
The government of Bangladesh rejects the
allegations would adversely affect the world’s
largest mangrove forest.
Importing high quality coal, build a 275 meters
high chimney, Use high art technology.
8. Opposition
On 1 March 2011, a bench of Bangladesh High Court asked the
government "why the construction of the plant should not be
declared illegal". Environmental experts have expressed concerns
that the proposed plant at Rampal might destroy the Sundarbans.
The National Committee on Protection of Oil, Gas, Mineral
Resources, and Power-Port, Environmentalist groups and general
people of Bangladesh vowed to resist the planned inauguration of
the Rampal Power Plant scheduled on 22 October 2013. On 24
September 2013 thousands of people in Bangladesh began a rally
for 5 days and 400 kilometres to oppose the power plant. UNESCO
had scheduled a meeting for 11 July to decide whether to declare
the Sundarbans a "World Heritage Site in Danger," its strongest
possible signal to the two governments and to international lenders
that the plant should not be built.
9. Environment Issue
During the construction of power plant at Rampal ,the
ecosystem will be largely affected due to traffic movements,
oil and chemical spillage and dredging.
The project will use deep tube wells and water of the
Posur River for washing coal, which will push ground level
water down and will completely destroy the ecosystem of
the river .
Transferring activities, shipping and barging activities at
Akram point will generate noise create disturbance to
the wildlife of the Sundarban.
10. The plant will need to import 4.72 million tons of coal per
year. This massive freight will need about 59 ships each
having 80,000-ton capacity that would be taken to the port
on the bank of the Poshur river. The 40 kilometres from the
port to the plant cuts through the Sundarbans and it
includes the river flow path. Environmentalists say these
coal-carrying vehicles are not often covered as they scatter
large amounts of fly ash, coal dust and sulphur, and other
toxic chemicals are released throughout the life of the
project. Carrying large amount of coal through the shallow
rivers also pose a threat as five vessels with load of coal, oil
and potash sank in the nearby rivers.
11. The plant would draw 219,600 cubic metres of water every
day from the Poshur river, and discharge treated waste
water back into that river causing pollutants to be
introduced into the water supply to the detriment of the
mangroves, the marine animals living there and nearby
population.
The predictions made by environment and ecology experts
are that the plant will release toxic gases such as carbon
monoxide, oxides of nitrogen and sulphur dioxide, thereby
putting the surrounding areas and, most importantly,
Sundarban at grave risk.
12. We will get light by killing and
push away our pride Sudarban’s
Natural beauty and precious
animals
13. Resolve
We are not against the project but against building of the
power plant in Rampal. The project can be transferred
anywhere else, far from the Sundarban to protect it . The
experts and environmentalists are really worried about the
Rampal. A great number of concerned people are protesting
against this project.
The government itself is violating environment law by
constructing coal-based power plant at Rampal .