The government’s pronouncement of bringing every house under electricity coverage by 2021 is not a dream now as currently 94 percent people have been brought under electricity coverage. A noticeable thrust in the power sector will enable the government to ensure electricity for all people by middle of 2020, according to power division officials.
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 rest of 53 percent people under the power coverage within 11 years, thanks to a remarkable success of the present government..
In 2009, when the AL-led government assumed office, the nation was suffering from chronic power supply crisis. Apart from people, many industries, factories and business establishments were compelled to shut their business activities in the face of massive power outages and low voltage. Those days are now gone.
State minister for power, energy and mineral resources Nasrul Hamid said, “A massive development has been witnessed in the power sector in the last one decade. Around 94 percent people are now under electricity coverage. Now we hope we can bring the entire country under 100 per cent electricity coverage by next June.”
According to Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB), around 354 upazilas out of 461 upazilas are now under 100 percent electricity coverage. The remaining 107 upazilas will be brought under 100 percent of electricity coverage by April, 2020. Electricity connections are being given to the villages through a programme titled Alor Feriwala by Palli Bidyut Samity (PBS) in different districts of the country. Officers and employees of the PBS are moving from house to house to give electricity connections. After getting calls, they immediately rush to the particular house along with their tools.
Under this programme, the PBS officials provide power to the common people through very easy management by using their vans. This van carries metres, ladders and necessary equipment and goes to houses. In this way, a general subscriber receives electricity connection in 5 to 10 minutes.
‘The country has witnessed an unprecedented development in the power sector in last one decade. And it has been possible due to the real-time sustainable planning and initiatives undertaken by the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,’ according to the power division.
According to Power Division, in 2009, the average power demand at that time was about 6,000 MW while power generation capacity of the country was less than 5000MW. Eight to ten hours load-shedding in summer days was causing unbearable miseries. Now the installed capacity has increased to 22,562 MW (with captive power, imported and renewable power).
The highest power generation rose to 12,893 MW (29 May 2019) from 3,268 MW (January 6, 2009). The number of power plants rose to 136 from 27. The number of electricity users increased from 1 crore 8 lakh to 3 crore 51 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.
Annual Development Programme (ADP) allocation has increased to achieve the target of the power sector. In 2009, the allocation of ADP was taka 2,667 crore, which is taka 26,014 crore in FY 2019-20. Bearing in mind the slogan of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for ensuing electricity in all households, the government is working to provide power to remote shoals and islands. Where the grid power is not reachable, electricity is being provided through the solar mini grid, said a power division official.
In last year, Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) connected Sandwip Island in the Bay of Bengal with the national power grid using submarine cable. As part of developing power distribution system in Chattogram, a 15-kilometre cable had been set up under the sea from Sitakunda to Sandwip.
The government has taken an initiative to supply solar systems for electricity in remote areas of Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHTs), where electricity from the national grid has not reached as yet. As it is expensive, power cannot be supplied in the near future, an official said. The Chattogram Hill Tracts, comprises three hill districts of Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarbans.
Once upon a time, it was darkness in remote areas of Teknaf’s Hnila in Coxesbazar. Now the peoples are enjoying electricity facility through a 20MW solar power plant, which is the country’s largest solar plant. The Bangladesh Power Development Board or BPDB had previously signed a 20-year deal for 20MW of power with the plant’s owner, Joules Power subsidiary Technaf Solartech Energy Ltd or TSEL.
Official said around 40,000 users are getting electricity facility in presence of sunlight. After fulfilling local demand, around 3 MW electricity is being added to the national grid.
State-owned Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) started the Solar Home System (SHS) program in January 2003 to meet basic electricity requirement of the off-grid rural people of Bangladesh as well as supplement the government’s vision of ensuring access to electricity for all citizens of Bangladesh by 2021.
Around 5.5 million SHSs have been installed under the programme in the remote areas where electrification through grid expansion is a challenging and costly task. IDCOL has set a target to finance 6 million SHS by 2021 with an estimated generation capacity of 220 MW of electricity. The programme has been acclaimed as the largest off-grid renewable energy programme in the world.