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. Of these, 17 with generating capacity of 2850 MW will start operation by this year and 3118 MW power from 21 plants will be generated next year.
Besides, some 1496 MW of electricity will be imported during this period, according to the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).
BPDB sources said, currently the main construction work of 16 power plants with capacity of 9065 MW is underway in the public sector. Out of these, some 82 to 98 percent work of six power plants has already been done. These are-the second unit of Payra-1320 MW coal power plant (98 percent), 206 MW capacity increase of Ghorashal unit-3 (98 percent), Shahjibazar 100 MW (96 percent), Mirershorai 100MW (87 percent), 200MW capacity increase of Ghorashal unit-4 (91 percent) and Bibiana south 383MW power plant (82 percent).
However, around 50 percent to 63 percent work has been completed on three more power plants, which are Sirajgonj 7.6 photovoltaic solar power plant (63 percent), Ashuganj 400MW combined cycle power plant (52 percent) and Rampal-1320MW coal power plant (49 percent).
On the other hand, a total of 25 power plants with a total capacity of 5072MW are now under construction at private initiatives. The government will purchase electricity from the power plants. Out of 25 power plants, the construction work has already been done from 80 to 98 percent of seven power plants, which are-Potia, Chattogram 116MW (98 percent), Manikganj 162MW (97 percent), Tangail 22MW (95 percent), Bhola 220MW (94 percent), Bhairab 50MW (90 percent), Kanchon, Narayanganj 55MW (85 percent) and Sutakhali, Mymensingh 50MW solar power plant (80 percent). Besides, the construction work of 4 power plants is 30 to 65 percent completed. These are Patuakhali 150MW (65 percent), Thakurgaon 115MW (60 percent), Chandpur 115MW (55 percent) and Manikganj 35MW solar power plant (30 percent).
The government is working to import 1496MW more electricity from Adani group of Jharkhand in India by June 2022. At present, its work progress is 44 percent.
However, a total of 11 IPP based power plants with capacity of 1545MW is 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.
Engineer Mohammad Hossain, director general of Power Cell, told Bangladesh Post, the government has achieved tremendous success in the power sector. The country’s power generation capacity increased around four times during the last decade.
“At that time we focused on power generation to meet the demands. We wanted a surplus in electricity generation and we succeeded. We are now self-sufficient in power generation. Previously, severe load shedding disrupted people’s lives, factory production. But the problem no longer exists,” he said.
When the Awami League-led government assumed office in 2009, the average power demand at the time was about 6,000MW while power generation capacity of the country was less than 5000MW. Eight to ten hours load-shedding in summer days was causing unbearable miseries.
Bangladesh has now attained the capacity to generate 20,748 megawatts of electricity, including renewable energy and imported power. Besides, there are captive power plants in different industries capable of generating another 2,800MW electricity. Now 97 percent of the people have access to electricity. It is expected that every house will get power supply by ‘Mujib Barsho,”.
Bearing in mind the slogan 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.