Deep-sea port to be built in Matarbari: Nasrul Hamid

The port under construction for the coal-based power plant in Cox’s Bazar’s Moheshkhali will be converted into a deep-sea port.

State Minister for Power Nasrul Hamid made the announcement during an inspection of the construction site in Matarbari on Friday.

“The area is to be dredged and a deep-sea port built here,” Hamid said.

“A 1,200MW coal power plant is being built, alongside a coal terminal. It will also add an LNG land-based terminal in the future.”

The port will be a ‘state-of-the-art artificial deep sea port’, he said.

“It will initially be an energy-power deep sea port and will be used for power, energy and coal. It will then be extended to a multipurpose deep-sea port.”

The project is being built by a Japanese contractor with financial backing for the project from the Japanese government.

Coal Power Generation Managing Director Abul Kashem says the project’s second package will include a 14.7km long, 250m wide and 18.5m deep-sea channel.

A coal loading-unloading jetty, a coal storage yard and an ash pond will be constructed for the power plant, he said.

“Land is also being allocated for a land-based LNG terminal and a coal terminal,” said Hamid. “Coal can be distributed quickly to all the coal-based power plants across the country from this terminal.”

“The project will need between 8,000 and 10,000 tonnes of coal each day. Eventually we will import even more coal to provide supply to other power plants.”

The project area is some 40 nautical miles from the port at Chittagong.

The power project will have a significant contribution to Bangladesh’s goal of 40,000MW power production by 2040. The government aims to produce about 15,000MW in the Moheshkhali-Matarbari area.

The LNG terminal for the area will begin construction in April, 2018, Hamid said.

The government plans to transform the area into an economic zone, he added.