Summit begins installing gas turbine at Bibiyana power plant

The construction team of Bibiyana power plant poses with the plant's equipment at the project site. Photo: Summit

Leading local private power company Summit has begun installing a 230-megawatt gas turbine—the heart of a power plant—at the Bibiyana phase two gas-fired combined cycle power plant.
The 300-tonne turbine has recently been mobilised from Mongla port to the Bibiyana project site.
Summit Chief Muhammad Aziz Khan said the turbine made by the GE, USA was the most efficient gas turbine in the market, as it takes less fuel to generate more power.
“Because of low draft in the rivers now, we chartered two dredgers to be ahead of the barge carrying these and dredged eight places in the rivers. This took more than a month,” he said.
Khan said a crane capable of lifting 600 tonnes has also been hired to unload and place the turbine at the site.
The Bibiyana plant is expected to go on simple cycle operation with 225mw power from September 2014 if gas supply and power evacuation are ensured by that time. The plant's combined cycle operation may begin in October 2015.
The International Finance Corporation, the Asian Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank are providing $200 million to finance the project.
Meanwhile, Summit has been running test operation of its simple cycle part of the Meghnaghat dual fuel 337mw combined cycle power plant since February.
The company expects to pass a seven-day non-stop operation of the simple cycle plant soon to constantly generate 220mw power using diesel. Once it passes the test, it would be able to commercially sell the power to the Power Development Board.
Operating power plants since 1998, Summit last year built three rental power plants ahead of schedule. It now contributes 560mw electricity from a dozen plants.