11,104-MW electricity added to national grid over 9 years

A total of 11,104 megawatts (MW) of power have been added to the national

grid in the last nine years, providing 83 per cent of the country’s total population access to electricity, according to official sources, reports BSS.

   ”The electricity generation capacity reached 16,046 MW and now 83 per cent people are getting power facility across the country. In the recent years, Bangladesh has experienced booming economic growth, rapid urbanisation and  industrialisation as electricity supply has been increased,” State Minister for Power, energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid told the news agency yesterday.

He said the government under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina constructed additional 85 power plants, 1, 60,000 km distribution lines, 2,622 circuit km transmission lines in the last nine years aimed at turning Bangladesh into a middle-income country by 2021 and developed and prosperous country by 2041.

”The government has undertaken 13 mega projects in cooperation with India, Japan, China, Malaysia, South Korea and Singapore to set up coal-based power  plants and construction of 5,925 MW capacity power plant under the public and  private partnership (PPP) is underway. We expect the first mega project of Pyra having 1300 MW capacity will come into operation in April 2019,” Nasrul added.

He said pre-paid metering system has been introduced nationwide aimed at  making bill payment system easier with collecting hundred per cent electric  bill, adding some seven lakh pre-paid meters have already been installed and  another twenty seven lakh meters are expected to be installed by next June in  2018.

The state minister said the power division has been brought under digitalisation to enhance its efficiency, transparency, accountability and increase the quality of customer service.

”We have decided to develop underground electricity distribution system to make it time-befitting especially in major cities,” he, however, said.

About fuel diversification, the state minister said the government has been diversifying the fuel mix for power generation as natural gas is depleting day by day, adding “Government has a plan to gradually use coal, LNG and other available fuel for power generation with the natural gas. To ensure energy security, the government has formulated Power sector master plan (PSMP)-2016 for overall development of the sector.”

 

11,104-MW electricity added to national grid over 9 years

A total of 11,104 megawatts (MW) of power have been added to the national grid in the last nine years, providing 83 per cent of the countrys total population access to electricity, according to official sources, reports BSS. The electricity generation capacity reached 16,046 MW and now 83 per cent people are getting power facility across the country. In the recent years, Bangladesh has experienced booming economic growth, rapid urbanisation and industrialisation as electricity supply has been increased, State Minister for Power, energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid told the news agency yesterday. He said the government under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina constructed additional 85 power plants, 1, 60,000 km distribution lines, 2,622 circuit km transmission lines in the last nine years aimed at turning Bangladesh into a middle-income country by 2021 and developed and prosperous country by 2041. The government has undertaken 13 mega projects in cooperation with India, Japan, China, Malaysia, South Korea and Singapore to set up coal-based power plants and construction of 5,925 MW capacity power plant under the public and private partnership (PPP) is underway. We expect the first mega project of Pyra having 1300 MW capacity will come into operation in April 2019, Nasrul added. He said pre-paid metering system has been introduced nationwide aimed at making bill payment system easier with collecting hundred per cent electric bill, adding some seven lakh pre-paid meters have already been installed and another twenty seven lakh meters are expected to be installed by next June in 2018. The state minister said the power division has been brought under digitalisation to enhance its efficiency, transparency, accountability and increase the quality of customer service. We have decided to develop underground electricity distribution system to make it time-befitting especially in major cities, he, however, said. About fuel diversification, the state minister said the government has been diversifying the fuel mix for power generation as natural gas is depleting day by day, adding Government has a plan to gradually use coal, LNG and other available fuel for power generation with the natural gas. To ensure energy security, the government has formulated Power sector master plan (PSMP)-2016 for overall development of the sector.