SS Power Plant starts commercial operation

Coal-fired 1320-megawatt SS Power Plant at Gondamara of Banshkhali in Chattogram has successfully began its commercial operation on Monday, fulfilling its all necessary tasks as per Power Development Board's rules.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chinese President Xi Jinping jointly initiated the project for the SS Power Plant in 2016, following the signing of an agreement between the BPDB and SS Power, according to a company statement.

The power plant started its official induction into the national grid on January 14, with the first and second units undergoing test runs on May 24 and June 28 respectively. However, it is projected that this plant will supply about 293 million units of electricity per day and about 880 million units per month.

SS Power Plant is owned jointly by Bangladesh's S. Alam Group, with a 70 per cent stake, and China's SEPCOIII and HTG 30 holding a 30 per cent stake.

SS Power Plant has attracted such a substantial investment of US$2.6 billion (Tk 280 billion) from a single private entity, the company statement noted.

"I strongly believe the commercial production of this power plant will contribute significantly to the daily lives of the people and the national economy," the company statement reads.