Mega Projects and White Elephants in Bangladesh: Will these turn us into another Sri Lanka?

[Bilal9]

Does mega project in Bangladesh mean mega corruption?

Is Bangladesh free from the dependence of foreign aid?

Is an undemocratic government more interested in highly visible, populist work?

Deutsche Welle's 'Khaled Muhiuddin Wants to Know' Is the topic of discussion on the YouTube talk show: Mega Project and White Elephant.

Moinul Islam, a former professor of Chittagong University, and Dr. Nazneen Ahmed, country economist, UNDP, are the guests of honor.

মেগা প্রজেক্ট মানে কি মেগা দুর্নীতি? বিদেশি সাহায্যের নির্ভরশীলতা থেকে বাংলাদেশ কি এখন মুক্ত? দৃশ্যমান, জনতুষ্টিমূলক কাজেই কি অগণতান্ত্রিক সরকার বেশি আগ্রহী হয়? ‘ডয়চে ভেলে খালেদ মুহিউদ্দীন জানতে চায়’ ইউটিউব টকশোতে এবারের আলোচনার বিষয়: মেগা প্রজেক্ট ও সাদা হাতি৷ অনুষ্ঠানটিতে অতিথি হিসেবে রয়েছেন চট্টগ্রাম বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের সাবেক অধ্যাপক মইনুল ইসলাম এবং ইউএনডিপির কান্ট্রি ইকনোমিস্ট ড. নাজনীন আহমেদ৷

@bluesky bhai your comments please.

 

[Indos]

That 12 billion USD nuclear power plant is a waste of money

 

[Bilal9]

That 12 billion USD nuclear power plant is a waste of money

Yes it is. But I think they should stop there.

Hasina is already planning a second one.

Her greed knows no limits.

 

[Indos]

Yes it is. But I think they should stop there.

Hasina is already planning a second one.

Her greed knows no limits.

Nuclear power plant is indeed expensive and nowadays solar panel is lot cheaper and more effective for country like Indonesia and Bangladesh where we basically have tropical climate. Solar panel in cold and very hot climate will not produce efficient energy.

I see in some part of BD rivers, BD can put floating solar panel and also in every buildings and with this better battery technology, the energy then can be stored and use in peak time or at night.

If BD wants to learn nuclear technology, better make research reactor near north east Indian (away from Daka), that will be for research, unlike power plant where I believe there will be no research and experiment going on there.

With this Russian getting sanction, it is the best time to scrap other nuclear project that is not yet started

 

[bluesky]

Does mega project in Bangladesh mean mega corruption?

Is Bangladesh free from the dependence of foreign aid?

Is an undemocratic government more interested in highly visible, populist work?

Deutsche Welle's 'Khaled Muhiuddin Wants to Know' Is the topic of discussion on the YouTube talk show: Mega Project and White Elephant.

Moinul Islam, a former professor of Chittagong University, and Dr. Nazneen Ahmed, country economist, UNDP, are the guests of honor.

মেগা প্রজেক্ট মানে কি মেগা দুর্নীতি? বিদেশি সাহায্যের নির্ভরশীলতা থেকে বাংলাদেশ কি এখন মুক্ত? দৃশ্যমান, জনতুষ্টিমূলক কাজেই কি অগণতান্ত্রিক সরকার বেশি আগ্রহী হয়? ‘ডয়চে ভেলে খালেদ মুহিউদ্দীন জানতে চায়’ ইউটিউব টকশোতে এবারের আলোচনার বিষয়: মেগা প্রজেক্ট ও সাদা হাতি৷ অনুষ্ঠানটিতে অতিথি হিসেবে রয়েছেন চট্টগ্রাম বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের সাবেক অধ্যাপক মইনুল ইসলাম এবং ইউএনডিপির কান্ট্রি ইকনোমিস্ট ড. নাজনীন আহমেদ৷

@bluesky bhai your comments please.

That 12 billion USD nuclear power plant is a waste of money

Rooppur is a total waste of money. The borrowing is $12 billion and the total interest payment is about $4 billion.

He fully supports Rooppur atomic power plant. Not only him, but also many other darkey Bengalee with two English flags think the same. All are very brilliant economists.

Not only that, @UKBengali was in euphoria when an Australian capitalist company proposed a $16 billion Dhaka-Cox's Bazaar Bullet train project. @UKBengali was crying that BD will remain less developed without this prestige project.

Now, how can the GoB pay back the loan money? These English flagged guys think the govt should buy sophisticated printing machines, print millions of $100 notes and pay back the loans with it.

All problems solved and BD becomes a great country with $10,000 per capita income.

 

[Bengal71]

Rooppur is a total waste of money. The borrowing is $12 billion and the total interest payment is about $4 billion.

He fully supports Rooppur atomic power plant. Not only him, but also many other darkey Bengalee with two English flags think the same. All are very brilliant economists.

Not only that, @UKBengali was in euphoria when an Australian capitalist company proposed a $16 billion Dhaka-Cox's Bazaar Bullet train project. @UKBengali was crying that BD will remain less developed without this prestige project.

Now, how can the GoB pay back the loan money? These English flagged guys think the govt should buy sophisticated printing machines, print millions of $100 notes and pay back the loans with it.

All problems solved and BD becomes a great country with $10,000 per capita income.

I am totally opposed to nuclear power plants because of the risk of an accident. BD is riverine and tropical, if an accident happens the fall out will spread in the whole country.

 

[AmiEktaKharapChele]

Rooppur is a total waste of money. The borrowing is $12 billion and the total interest payment is about $4 billion.

He fully supports Rooppur atomic power plant. Not only him, but also many other darkey Bengalee with two English flags think the same. All are very brilliant economists.

Not only that, @UKBengali was in euphoria when an Australian capitalist company proposed a $16 billion Dhaka-Cox's Bazaar Bullet train project. @UKBengali was crying that BD will remain less developed without this prestige project.

Now, how can the GoB pay back the loan money? These English flagged guys think the govt should buy sophisticated printing machines, print millions of $100 notes and pay back the loans with it.

All problems solved and BD becomes a great country with $10,000 per capita income.

And you're what ? A whitey japani or yellow ? Or just colourless scum with no class ?


Typical reply from perma virgin loner aka Nippon er Kangla Chiro Kumar

 

[fallstuff]

The typical construction cost of a 1000mw Nuclear Power station is about $7 billion. So $7*2.4= $16.8 billion is what it would cost to get an equivalent Western constructed nuclear power station.
A typical nuclear power station has 50 years longevity needing to be refueled once every 18 to 24 months. A gas or coal fired unit has an expected working life of 25-30 years.
I don't know the price tag includes service agreement for next 60 years which I seriously doubt.

 

[hydrabadi_arab]

More like Pakistan and not Sri Lanka. So at worst BD can face Pakistan like crisis but not disaster like Sri Lanka. Though anything is possible but Sri Lanka was way too dependent on tourism to pay their imports and foreign debt.

 

[bluesky]

I am totally opposed to nuclear power plants because of the risk of an accident. BD is riverine and tropical, if an accident happens the fall out will spread in the whole country.

2011 Ibaraki nuclear power plant accident. A water suction pit was built/ placed in the nearby sea from where water was being continuously pumped up by an electrically operated device to cool the reactors.

When tsunami hit, the pit was uplifted, the suction pipe was damaged and the electric line cut. Water stopped circulating and the reactors started to get overheated that caused the meltdown.

Actually, IATA or any country never anticipated such a situation. So, after the accident IATA and the nuclear countries' scientists have seated many times together to find out how to change the design that can guarantee no such mishap again.

IATA has approved the Rooppur design.

However, you are right to say that there are many unknown design faults and a plant within a densely populated area should have been avoided.

 

[Bilal9]

The typical construction cost of a 1000mw Nuclear Power station is about $7 billion. So $7*2.4= $16.8 billion is what it would cost to get an equivalent Western constructed nuclear power station.
A typical nuclear power station has 50 years longevity needing to be refueled once every 18 to 24 months. A gas or coal fired unit has an expected working life of 25-30 years.
I don't know the price tag includes service agreement for next 60 years which I seriously doubt.

Thanks for the numbers @fallstuff bhai.

This is imperative to highlight, as well as the fact that refueling a NPP is so easy compared to fueling a coal powerplant or even an oil/gas powerplant which needs massive logistics and arrangements with supplier countries, who might renege due to policy change.

The only alternative (and cheaper in some sense) compared to Nuclear is wind and solar, which don't need refueling except minor maintenance due to weather.

But all this theorizing is time-waster activity, because the EU, our main customers, will not even deal with fossil-fuel power generation countries after a certain period, due to carbon neutrality requirements. We HAVE TO COMPLY - OR we won't have any export activity.

 

[BananaRepublicUK]

Yes it is. But I think they should stop there.

Hasina is already planning a second one.

Her greed knows no limits.

Britain wishes it had built nuclear power plants instead of relying on Russian fuel.

Energy prices have sky rocketed.

You need to balance reliability, price and environment.

Renewable are not reliable - hence it’s a massive risk to have it as a big component of your energy mix.

Few months ago - Britain had no wind or sunlight - thankfully we were able to import electricity from France.

Many parts of the country suffered power cuts.

Given the volatile fossil fuel market - it was great hindsight by Hasina to build the nuclear plant.

Bangladesh needs to generate about 40% of its needs from nuclear. So needs another plant. Maybe the Japanese will build it on a build and own basis.

Fossil fuels are not an option due to the impact on the environment and import costs. Look at how it has impacted our currency reserves!

 

[Tom-tom]

We can't completely rely on solar and wind, also having solar on roof tops batteries storing, the energy, the average individual household cant afford a storage battery.

They cost at 10k-20k, the national grid will need to modernised for a line going to central storage centre. Then distribute the power when someone needs power.

 

[ziaulislam]

That 12 billion USD nuclear power plant is a waste of money

Why nuclear is affordable as compared to oil.
Yes expensive as compared to coal but coal has pressure regarding funding and imported coal will get expensive ultimately

 

[Bilal9]

We can't completely rely on solar and wind, also having solar on roof tops batteries storing, the energy, the average individual household cant afford a storage battery.

They cost at 10k-20k, the national grid will need to modernised for a line going to central storage centre. Then distribute the power when someone needs power.

World Bank funded the Bangladesh Solar Home System program and SREDA has continued this program in Bangladesh.

A Game-changer in Bangladesh’s Growth Story: Solar Home Systems

The World Bank supported a Solar Home System (SHS) program, and public-private partnership, to build a thriving off-grid solar market. By 2018, the SHS program had sold over 4.1 million units, bringing electricity services to about 20 million people in Bangladesh.

www.worldbank.org