Matarbari Coal-Fired Plants: Nature sacrificed for power

When countries around the world are phasing out coal-based power plants, the Bangladesh government has planned eight such projects in Maheshkhali of Cox's Bazar despite their potential adverse impacts in and around the coastal belt. 

Of the eight, Phase-1 of the Matarbari Power Plant is already halfway done, although national and international bodies criticised its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as "lacking clarity" on the pollution scenario.

Officials of Coal Power Generation Company (CPGC), the government-owned entity that is constructing the 1,200-megawatt plant, admitted to The Daily Star that the EIA is indeed faulty.

The eight plants would constitute one of the largest coal-fired power plant clusters within 10 square kilometres anywhere in the world, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an independent research organisation based in Finland.

No EIA has been done on the rest of the eight plants, which pose pollution risks for beaches, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.

Also, there has not been any cumulative EIA on the collective impact of these plants, despite the ecologically sensitive nature of the coastal area that faces current and future climate threats because of global warming.

The Matarbari Phase-1 plant is being jointly funded by the Japan and Bangladesh governments. Japan will arrange Tk 28,939 crore of the estimated cost of about Tk 35,984 crore. The rest will be covered by the Bangladesh government.

Funding arrangement for the seven other plants has not been finalised yet, although acquisition of 5,500-acre land for all the eight is complete, sources said.

Once in production, the eight plants will release 1,600kg of mercury and 6,000 tonnes of fly ash every year, according to an estimate by CREA.

As much as 40 percent of these emissions would likely be deposited on land and freshwater ecosystems, and another 35 percent on forestland across Chattogram, said its study report released in December 2019.

Fly ash contains toxic and radioactive heavy materials that are highly injurious to human health, land and the ecosystems. Mercury is also a toxic heavy metal that cycles through the atmosphere, water, and soil in different forms.

FAULTY EIA

According to the analysis by CREA, the EIA for the Matarbari plant does not provide data on mercury pollution.

Done without following internationally recognised methodology to monitor air quality, the EIA also does not contain the air quality data on Cox's Bazar area, its analysis found.

"The EIA consultant monitored air quality for a total of two days during the rainy and dry seasons. This amount of data is essentially useless for the purpose of evaluating whether ambient air quality standards are being met in the area," said Lauri Myllyvarta, lead analyst at CREA.

His study found that the EIA did not monitor Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5, which is considered dangerous for human health. He referred to the State of Global Air report (2019), which used satellite data and found 63 micrograms of PM 2.5 per cubic metre on average in and around Cox's Bazar. The permissible level of PM 2.5 in the air is 15 micrograms per cubic metre.

Sharif Jamil, general secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon, recently said the Matarbari plant was being sold to the public as the "most modern" plant in the world. But it is ironic that its EIA did not take into account the amount of mercury and PM 2.5 to be emitted from the plant.

The EIA in question was conducted by TEPSCO (Tokyo Electric Power Service Co Ltd) under the supervision of Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) Study Team.

In an email on Thursday, Jica acknowledged funding the Matarbari project, and said it was based on the agreement between the two governments.

Asked about the faulty EIA, Jica said, "The EIA was prepared in accordance with regulations of Bangladesh, Jica's environmental guidelines, and international standards, and the assessment was then approved by the Department of Environment."

The agency added some 60 percent of the work is already complete.

According to the CPGC website, the construction of Phase-1 plant began in January 2018 and it will go into power generation in 2024. It will produce 1,200 megawatt electricity. 

A signatory to the Paris climate agreement, Japan itself is phasing out coal-fired power plants although it still has some.

"Japan promised not to finance any coal-based power plants in the world while they are financing coal-fired power plants in our country. They need to stop this double standard, being an important development partner of our country," Sharif told The Daily Star.

CPGP Project Director Abul Kalam Azad admitted that parts of EIA modelling has flaws.

He said they were conducting an EIA for Matarbari Phase 2, where they will follow the proper procedure of mercury and PM 2.5 pollution modelling and will take measures accordingly to mitigate the pollution to be caused by the Phase 1 plant.

"We held two stakeholder meetings -- one in Dhaka and another in Matarbari. We got some recommendations. The Phase-2 impact assessment will be followed for Phase 1 as well. We will submit the Phase-2 impact assessment soon, after accommodating the recommendations," he added.

As per the conditions set out by the DoE, any EIA lacking key information on pollution modelling will be revoked.

For the Phase-1, however, the DoE approved the EIA in 2013 just before the land acquisition began.

Masud Iqbal Md Shamim, director (environmental clearances) of DoE, said they approved the EIA as it was in line with their guidelines.

He claimed that the findings by CREA had no basis and that everything was "fine" with the EIA.

He declined to comment on Coal Power Generation Company's position to correct the pollution modelling in the Phase-2 EIA.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers' Association (BELA), said the DoE should have revoked the EIA as it lacks basic information on pollution modelling.

"The Environmental Impact Assessment did not have the year-round air quality data and seasonal assessment of the air pollution in Cox's Bazar. It is a big question as to how the Department of Environment approved the impact assessment. They should have revoked it immediately or asked the authorities to correct it," she said.

DoE's own guidelines say the EIA has to be done to improve the environmental design of the proposal, ensure that resources are used appropriately and efficiently, identify appropriate measures for mitigating the potential impacts of the proposal, and facilitate informed decision-making, including setting the environmental terms and conditions for implementing the project.

It also aims to protect human health and safety, avoid irreversible changes and serious damage to the environment, safeguard valuable resources, natural areas and ecosystem components.

Nasrul Hamid, state minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, said the government was not concerned about the criticisms over coal-based power plants.

He referred to the Pyra coal-based plant in Patuakhali district, and asked, "How many people have died since it started production? We don't care about who said what. We conducted an impact assessment. The Japanese are looking after it," he added.

But earlier this month, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself said Bangladesh has cancelled 10 coal-based power plants to supplement its efforts against the adverse impacts of climate change.

The plants involved 12 billion dollars of foreign investment, she mentioned, while addressing the 26th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26). 

POLLUTION SCENARIO PROJECTED BY CREA

The eight plants will produce 8,720 megawatts of power.

In addition to 1,600kg mercury and 6,000 tonnes of fly ash, the eight plants will release 227,788kg Sulphur Dioxide (S02), 127,767kg Nitrogen Oxide (N0x), 9,283kg PM 10 and 4,175kg PM 2.5 per year in the process, the CREA study estimates.

Mercury deposition rates as low as 125mg per hectare in a year can lead to accumulation of unsafe levels of mercury in fish, the study report said.

This mercury deposition will spread across an area of 3,300 square miles, bringing Bandarban in the south and outskirts of Chattogram in the north under pollution, the study estimates.

The projected emission of fly ash and Sulphur Dioxide will increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory infections in children.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ischemic heart disease, lower respiratory infections, lung cancer and stroke will likely contribute to the death of many people over the 30 years of operation of the plants.

FOREST, WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES AT RISK

Five wildlife sanctuaries and six forests, across Chattogram region, have been projected to be immensely affected due to the potential emission from these plants.

The wildlife sanctuaries include Hazarikhil Wildlife Sanctuary, Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary, Fasiakhali Sanctuary, Dudpuhkuria-Dhopachari Sanctuary and Sangu Wildlife Sanctuary.

The forests are Himchhari, Inani, Medhakochchhoopia and Bangabandu Safari Park in Cox's Bazar while the rest include Baroidala and Kaptai national parks in Chattogram.

The study assessed that a total of 32.6kg mercury and 184kg fly ash will be deposited per year into 11 forests and wildlife sanctuaries, endangering the greeneries and its wildlife that is already bearing the brunt of development projects, loggings, grabbing and deforestation.

Besides, the estimated 690kg mercury to be produced by the cluster of eight plants would be directly deposited into the water, taking a toll on the fish population and the livelihoods of fishermen.