Captive power and BERC licensing for energy-intensive plants

For composite textile mills, spinning units and continuous-process plants, grid interruption is not an inconvenience but a scrap-generating event. Captive generation is the standard answer, and above a defined capacity threshold it requires a generation licence from the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission alongside approval under the captive power policy framework.

What the licence file contains

• Single line diagram of the generation and distribution scheme, sealed by a qualified engineer.
• Grounding and protection design, including earthing calculations.
• Generator specifications, capacity and fuel arrangement, with the gas or fuel supply arrangement evidenced.
• Fire Service and Civil Defence clearance for the generator hall and fuel storage.
• Environmental clearance covering emissions and noise from the generation set.
• Company, project registration and land documents.

Sequencing with the gas file

A gas-fired captive plant creates a dependency loop: the generation approval expects a fuel arrangement, while the gas connection expects a defined load. The resolution is to run both files in parallel with consistent load figures and a documented supply intention, rather than waiting for one to complete before opening the other. Getting this wrong adds a quarter to the commissioning schedule.