Bangladesh is now surplus in electricity generation. However, the problems of power outages, low-voltage and load-shedding still persist in some areas due to limitations in power transmission and distribution systems.
To sort out the problems, the government is now focusing on transmission and distribution systems of electricity.
The power division has been instructed by the Prime Minister's Office to set up fast transmission and distribution lines. In that case, there are instructions to involve government companies as well as private entrepreneurs.
According to power division, there has been constant focus on power generation. Now around 70 per cent of the total allocation of the Annual Development Program (ADP) will be spent on the development of the transmission and distribution systems. Of this, about Tk 7,000 crore will be spent on the transmission system and Tk 10,000 crore on the distribution lines. In the current budget Tk 24,853 crore has been allocated for the power sector.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said, "Our goal now is to ensure uninterrupted and quality power supply. For this, the budget allocation has been enhanced for smooth transmission and distribution sector.
“Several projects are now underway to improve the power distribution system. Due to this, some problems crop up in power supply in some areas. This is a technical problem. Everything will be fine in the next two years,” he added.
The state minister said the process of fixing underground power cables has started in the capital and divisional cities as well. According to the plan, automation, smart grid, SCADA center, underground cabling will be implemented. It will take some time.
State-owned Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB), is working to improve its transmission lines. The work of the South-West Transmission Expansion Project worth taka 3273 crore in the development of the transmission system has been done about 20 percent. It is expected that the project will be completed in June 2023.
A project worth taka 324.58 crore is underway to ensure reliable and uninterrupted power supply in the Mirsarai Economic Zone of Chattagram and to provide quality power to the region from the new power plants under construction in the vicinity. Currently the work-progress is around 67 percent. It is scheduled to end in June this year. In addition, PGCB has more than twenty ongoing projects that will contribute to the development of the transmission system.
On the other hand, six state-owned distribution companies are working to develop distribution system. Of this, about taka 6,000 crore has been allocated for the development of the distribution system of the largest Rural Electrification Board (REB). Besides, Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC) gets taka 2,200 crore, Power Development Board (PDB) gets taka 1,700 crore, West Zone Power Distribution Company Limited around taka 700 crore. NESCO has been allocated around Tk 450 crore and Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited (DESCO) around Tk 350 crore for the development of distribution system.
Engineer Mohammad Hossain, director general of Power Cell, told Bangladesh Post “The nation suffered from chronic power supply crisis when the Awami League-led government assumed office in 2009.
“At that time we focused on power generation to meet the demands. We are now self-sufficient in power generation. Previously, severe load shedding disrupted people’s lives and production in factories. But the problem no longer exists,” he said.
“We wanted a surplus in electricity generation and we succeeded. Now incidents like load shedding occurs occasionally due to problems in transmission and distribution systems. So we are now focusing on improving the power distribution and transmission system,” he continued.
“There has been a lot of improvement in power generation in the country. Our generation capacity surpasses our demand. For now, there is no need to increase the generation capacity,” energy expert professor Dr. Izaj Hossain told Bangladesh Post.
“The government must pay attention to the transmission and distribution system to ensure uninterrupted power supply,” he insisted.
“Currently, there are 3,000-megawatt captive power plants in various factories, set up by themselves. If the transmission system improves, the government can sell this 3,000-megawatt power to them and they both win,” Izaj Hossain said.
Following the instruction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on electricity for all households, the government has set a target to generate 24,000 megawatts electricity by 2021, 40,000 megawatts by 2030, and 60,000 megawatts by 2041.
Bangladesh has now attained the capacity to generate around 24,400 megawatts of electricity, including renewable energy and captive power.
According to Power Division, currently the electricity demand in Bangladesh is about 10,000 to 12,000MW, meaning, the country has the capacity to meet the demand of 12,000MW and generate surplus electricity. Bangladesh has now been upgraded from a power-shortage country to a power-surplus country.
In 2009, the average power demand was about 6,000MW while power generation capacity of the country was less than 5000MW. People immensely smarted from eight to ten hours of load-shedding in the summer.
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.
Bangladesh is close to connecting and supplying electricity to the entire population. Every household will come under electricity facility by Dec 21, 2021 to coincide with the celebration of the 100th birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation.
