MAN Energy Solutions adds 445 MW to Bangladeshi installed capacity

Above: Thakurgaon power plant, Bangladesh

Nine MAN 18V48/60TS engines, with a total capacity of 150 MW, will be installed at Sreepur, north of the capital, Dhaka. Scheduled for completion in late 2023, the plant will be operated by independent power producer, B-R Powergen Limited (BRPL).

“Energy demand in Bangladesh is increasing by over 10% each year and we are pleased to once again contribute to the country’s reliable energy supply with the Sreepur project,” said Ghassan Saab, head of region, Middle-East Africa, power plant sales, MAN Energy Solutions. “When all ongoing projects are completed, MAN will provide more than 1.5 GW of capacity across the country, representing around 10% of installed capacity.”

The Chandpur plant, total capacity 125 MW, employs a combination of 4 × MAN 18V51/60TS and 2 × MAN 20V45/60 engines. Owner/operator is Chandpur Power Generation, a subsidiary of Doreen Power.

The MAN 20V45/60 is, according to MAN ES, “the most powerful four-stroke engine in the world.” With an output of around 26 MW per engine, the 20V45/60 also achieves “outstanding efficiency rates with a fuel utilisation of over 50%”, according to MAN ES. Furthermore, the company says, the 18V51/60TS engines, with two-stage turbocharging, are “being used in a power plant for the first time.” With two-stage turbocharging there is a low and high pressure compressor, operating in series, optimising power density and efficiency.

“In Chandpur, the plant operators have chosen a particularly innovative engine setup”, said Saab. “The combination of our powerful 20V45/60 engines and the 18V51/60TS units with two-stage turbocharging guarantees maximum fuel efficiency and also enables a more compact plant design through higher power density.”

The Thakurgaon plant, in the northwest of the country, was also recently handed over to the owner/operator, Energypac Power Generation Ltd. The facility employs 6 × MAN 18V48/60TS engines with a total installed capacity of around 125 MW.

During construction, the difficult-to-access location, on the border with India, presented tough, logistical demands as the region can only be reached overland. Since local road conditions did not allow the engines – each weighing 320 tonnes – to be transported by truck, they had to be dismantled and delivered to the Thakurgaon plant for on-site assembly.

The Narayanganj plant, operated by KPPGL (Kanchan Purbachal Power Generation Ltd), is located 50 km east of Dhaka. It uses 3 × MAN 18V48/60TS engines with a total output of 58 MW, providing power to the Rupganj region.