The government has initiated a big move to implement a Taka 2,272.47 crore project to increase the power distribution capacity of the Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited (DESCO) in a bid to ensure sustainable and reliable power supply to its clients.
DESCO under the Power Division will implement the project titled "Dhaka Power System Expansion and Strengthening Project in DESCO Areas" by December 2025.
"This draft project is scheduled to be placed before the meeting of the ECNEC tomorrow (Tuesday)," said a Planning Commission official.
ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will preside over the meeting.
The official informed that out of the total project cost of Taka 2,272.47 crore, the government will provide Taka 446.50 crore, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide Taka 1,231.54 crore as loan while the rest of Taka 594.42 crore will come from the concerned organisation's own fund.
Talking to BSS, member of the Planning Commission (industry and energy division) AKM Fazlul Haque said that under the project, around two lakh new power connections would be provided in the project areas while reliable power supply would be ensured for the existing consumers.
"Once the project is implemented, system loss will be reduced to a big extent while it will also be possible to meet the growing demand in the industry-prone and densely populated project areas," he said.
Fazlul Haque also informed that the capacity of the existing power sub stations would be increased through reorganization of power load side by side
the power distribution capacity 33KV voltage level would be upgraded to 720/1080 MVA while that of the 11KV voltage level to 595 MVA.
The project area covers Airport, Bashundhara, Mirpur Ceramics, Mirpur Swapnagar Residential Area, Baridhara and Rupayan City in Uttara, Tongi under Gazipur City Corporation, Purbachal under Rupganj of Narayanganj district.
Another official at the Planning Commission informed that around 400 kilometer areas under Dhaka North City Corporation, Tongi and Purbachal in
Narayanganj are under the jurisdiction of DESCO.
"Since these areas are densely populated and industry-prone, the demand of power is growing day by day there. Under the existing power distribution system, most of the power substations and distribution lines are overloaded.
As a result, low voltage problem is often seen at the consumer level while the intensity of system loss also increases," the official added.
The official also said once the project is implemented, it would be possible to ensure reliable and uninterrupted power supply through strengthening the power distribution network and reducing system loss at the clients level.
The main project operations include establishment of four 132/33/11 KV GIS grid substations and another four 33/11 KV GIS distribution sub stations,
erection of 30 kilometer 132 KV (double circuit) underground transmission line, erection of 150 circuit kilometer 11 KV and 33 KV underground line,
overhauling of 150 kilometer overhead power distribution network, installation of 100 11 KV Ring Main Unit (RMU), installation of 750 three
phase 11/0.4 KV distribution transformers, and installation of another 70 single phase 11/0.23 KV distribution transformers.
