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111 new power plants in last 11 years


Published : 27 Aug 2020 09:57 PM | Updated : 07 Sep 2020 03:30 PM

One hundred and eleven new power plants with total capacity 14,281MW of electricity have been installed within the last 11 years in the country.

Besides, some 4,283 circuit kilometers of power transmission lines along with 3.21 lakh kilometers of distribution lines have been set up to supply electricity during the period. Besides, around 2.7 crore new users have got electricity connection. 

When the Awami League-led government assumed office in 2009, the nation was suffering a chronic power supply crisis. Many industries, factories and business establishments shut their activities in the face of power outages and low voltage.

Bangladesh has now transformed from a power-shortage country into a power-surplus country. The overall economy is also increasing due to available of electricity, the Power Division said.  

According to a study by research institute BIDS (Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies), an increase in power generation of 10 lakh units in Bangladesh also has an impact on the macro-economy, adding about taka 4.60 croreto 10 .70 crore to the economy.

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said, “The country has witnessed an unprecedented development in the power sector in last 11 years. And it has been possible due to the real-time sustainable planning and initiatives undertaken by the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 

“The country's economic growth has increased as a result of the supply of electricity. Along with the increase in factory production, the lives of people in remote villages have also changed for the better. The rural womenfolk who slept as soon as the sun set, are now sewing ‘Katha’ (quilts) till 9 pm. The shops and markets are open till midnight. Electricity has created new opportunities for people's income. The dream of digital Bangladesh has come true due to the supply of electricity,” he added.

Energy expert professor DrIzaj Hossain told Bangladesh Post, there has been a lot of improvement in power generation in the country. Our generation capacity surpasses our demand. At the moment the government must pay attention to the transmission and distribution system to ensure uninterrupted power supply.

In 2009, the average power demand at the time was about 6,000MW while power generation capacity of the country was 4,942MW. Now the installed capacity has increased to 20,383MW (with imported and renewable power) and its generation capacity is 19,892MW. Besides, there are captive power plants in different industries capable of generating another 2,800MW electricity, where the electricity demand in Bangladesh is about 10,000 to 12,000MW.

The number of power plants rose to 138 from 27. The number of electricity users increased from 1 crore 8 lakh to 3 crore 74 lakh. The transmission and distribution system losses have been significantly reduced to 9.35 percent during the incumbent government’s tenure, from 14.33 percent.

According to earlier generation, the per capita electricity consumption was 220 units (kilowatts per hour). Currently it has increased to 512 units.

In 2009, there were 2.34 lakh electricity-run irrigation pumps. Now it has increased to 3.62 lakh. According to BIDS research, the cost of electricity in a diesel-powered irrigation pump is Tk 47.18 per unit, whereas the cost of that for an electricity-run pump is taka 4 per unit. 

‘Before 2010, the country spent around $100 crore a year on rice imports. Agricultural production has increased due to the provision of electricity in the irrigation system, now there is no need to import rice. In addition, the industrial and manufacturing sectors have grown due to the ability to ensure power supply. The number of small and medium industries has increased, said the BIDS study. 

In addition, the system loss in the power distribution system has also decreased. Earlier than 11 years ago, the loss was 14.33 percent and now it has decreased to 9.35 percent. However, the power division is trying to reduce it further.

Annual Development Programme (ADP) allocation has increased to achieve the target of power sector. In 2009, the allocation of ADP was taka 2,667 crore, now around taka 26,000 crore in current FY.

Electricity for all- a dream come true to overcome the power crisis, the goverment formulated a 40-year master plan (Power System Master Plan) for power development. There are detailed plans to connect new users, including power generation. And in 2016, the crash programme 'Sheikh Hasina's initiative, electricity in every house' was taken up. 

The government’s pronouncement of bringing every house under electricity coverage by 2021 is no more a dream. Before the scheduled time, the government wants to ensure electricity for all. 

State Minister Nasrul Hamid said “many governments have changed since the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, but none of them mentioned providing electricity to every house.But only the Sheikh Hasina government has done it. Now 97 percent people have access to electricity. We hope every house will get electricity by ‘MujibBarsho,”. 

According to the Power Division, some 47 percent people had come under electricity coverage within 38 years (1971-2009) of independence, whereas the current government brought the rest 53 percent people under the power coverage within 11 years, thanks to a remarkable success of the present government.

Transmission and Distribution Lines the total transmission line has now increased to 12,283 circuit kilometers and the distribution line to 5.81 lakh kilometers. To ensure uninterrupted power supply, the government has been implementing a plan to install 28,000 circuit km. transmission lines and 6 lakh 60 thousand km distribution line through different projects by 2030.

Engineer Mohammad Hossain, director general of Power Cell, told Bangladesh Post the government has achieved tremendous success in the power sector. We wanted a surplus in electricity generation and we succeeded. Now incidents like load shedding occur occasionally due to problems in transmission and distribution systems. So we are now focusing on improving the power distribution and transmission system.”

The government made some 70 percent of the power sector allocation for the distribution and transmission in the 2020-21 fiscal at Tk 7,500 crore.

Under constructed power plants the government expects that 20,228 more megawatts of electricity will be added to the national grid by 2024. To this end, 59 power plants are being constructed. Besides, some 1496 MW of electricity will be imported from Adani group of Jharkhand in India by June 2022, according to the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB). 

However, a total of 11 IPP based power plants with capacity of 1545MW are now under agreement processing. It has already issued LOI (Letter of Intent) for 10 power plants.

Besides, contracts for 11 power plants with a total capacity of 1,545MW are being signed. In addition, tenders are underway for six more power plants with a capacity of 650 MW, which may go into operation by 2023.

On the other hand, the country’s first nuclear power plant is now under construction at Rooppur in Pabna. Construction work of the power plant with two units, with the total capacity of 2,400MW is going on fast. It would produce and be added to the national grid by 2023-2024.

Focus on energy diversification In view of rising cost of power generation with oil and gas, the government has shifted its focus to alternative sources like coal, nuclear and renewable energies in a bid to ensure energy security.

Initiatives have been taken to close inefficient power plants with a total capacity of 3000MW in phases by 2022 to reduce power generation cost with efforts to increase uses of renewable energy, officials at Power Division said.

 Success in the use of renewable energy the government's emphasis is now on increasing the share of renewable energy in total power generation. It has set a target to generate at least 10 percent of electricity from renewable energy. The country currently generates around 650MW of electricity from renewable energy sources.

Around 5.8 million SHSs have been installed under a programme of State-owned Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) in the remote areas. The programme has been acclaimed as the largest off-grid renewable energy programme in the world.

According to REN 21 Global Status Report (GSR), Bangladesh has had a remarkable success in the power sector as it secured second position with accessing eight percent power from off-grid solar solutions under the current government.