Mega projects undertaken in Cox’s Bazar Moheshkhali, including the construction of a deep seaport, power plants, and industrial zones, are expected to turn the region into a power hub.
The projects aim to provide improved infrastructure and facilities to the people living in the area, which is known for its natural beauty and tourist attractions.
The deep seaport will be able to handle large cargo ships and will serve as an important hub for trade and commerce in the region.
The power plants will provide electricity to the industrial zones and will also help meet the energy needs of the surrounding areas. The industrial zones will provide job opportunities to the local population and will help boost the economy of the region.
The government is ensuring that the projects are being implemented in a sustainable and responsible manner, taking into account the environmental and social impacts.
Already, the use of the deep-sea port has started on a trial basis. The port is being used to unload the imported coal for Matarbari Coal Power Plant.
SPM Project
Single-point mooring (SPM) is already being used to carry crude oil on a trial run. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to inaugurate the SPM project this year after commissioning and testing.
With the SPM double pipeline project, vessels can easily unload petroleum products from a deep-sea buoy on the west side of Moheshkhali Island.
The first oil tanker carrying about 82,000 tonnes of crude oil arrived at from Saudi Arabia on June 24.
Through this pipeline, crude oil will be carried to the Eastern Refinery Limited (ERL) of Chattogram some 110 km away. Oil will be stored in three tanks of 50,000 cubic metres and thee tanks of 30,000 cubic metres.
Related sources said, the SPM project will save Tk 800 crore a year after the official inauguration. It can save time up to 10 working days.
The SPM project is expected to bring significant changes in the country’s import-dependent fuel oil economy. Already 97 per cent of the Tk 7,140 crore project has been completed.
About 1.2 lakh tonnes of crude oil can be carried through the pipelines within 48 hours which sums up to nine million tonnes per year. It will take only 28 hours to discharge 70,000 tonnes of diesel.
The SPM buoy has been placed in the Bay of Bengal on the western side of Moheshkhali Island. Fuel oil imported in large vessels from abroad will be stored in storage tanks installed at Moheshkhali through pipelines.
From there, in addition to the storage tanks of the Patenga depot of Chattogram, and ERL, and if necessary, it can be supplied all over the country.
If the SPM project is implemented, there will be no more hurdles in releasing fuel during natural calamities which will ensure energy security. The basic infrastructure of the SPM project has been built on 191 acres of land of the Forest Department on Moheshkhali Island.
Six storage tanks have been constructed in the area. The storage tanks are built about 20 feet above the ground to prevent inundation during floods or other natural calamities. Two separate 36-inch-wide pipelines from the storage connect the buoy in the Bay of Bengal.
SPM project officer Manjed Ali Shanto said this is a priority-based project of the Prime Minister.
“After the official inauguration, we will be able to carry the crude oil to ERL directly from the port. Some 97 per cent of the work is already completed. The PM will inaugurate the project after the commissioning and testing work is successfully completed,” he added.
LNG Terminal
Meanwhile, the work on the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Terminal has already been completed. While two units of it are already operational the government has approved a third onshore LNG terminal in addition to the previous two.
The proposed floating LNG terminal would have a regasification capacity of dealing with 600 million cubic feet (mmcf) of LNG per day. Currently, Bangladesh has two FSRUs in Cox’s Bazar’s Moheshkhali that can re-gasify 1,000 mmcf (500 mmcf each) of gas every day.
According to port officials, the port will be fully operational for commercial use by 2026 and will help Bangladesh accelerate its GDP growth.
Asheq Ullah Rafiq, an incumbent member of parliament of Cox’s Bazar-2 said the implementation of these mega projects is a step forward in developing the country further.
The Moheshkhali mega project is expected to bring significant lasting benefits to the people of Cox’s Bazar district. It will create job opportunities, improve infrastructure, and promote economic growth.
