The government celebrated this month for achieving the capacity of 10,000MW of electricity. The country is currently able to produce 10,000MW from existing power plants. The power division of the ministry of power, energy and mineral resources organised this event. Power sector professionals, distinguished guests, businessmen, and journalists were present at the event which was chaired by the prime minister.
At the event, the finance minister said the nation would bid goodbye to load sheddings forever starting next June, because Bangladesh now has the capacity to produce more electricity than it needs.
The finance minister said they had not abandoned the previous interim government’s decisions on the power sector out of consideration for national interest. For instance, rental and quick rental, project of the interim government, has been implemented by this government after looking at the potential benefits to the nation.
Bangladesh now has 10,000MW of production capacity. In 2009, when this government came to power, the total production of electricity was a mere 3,940MW.
Rental and quick rental, coal-based power plants, and gas-based power station projects were taken on by the government to increase electricity output. However, energy experts criticised the rental and quick rental system, because of the high cost of per unit electricity at the consumer’s end. That is why the cost of per capita electricity has increased seven times.
The prime minister said they had to face much criticism for taking on rental power plant projects. They knew what they had to do in the power sector in order to build up a nation free from the plague of load sheddings. This is the time to see the positive results of their projects and for the people to reap the benefit.
The total production of electricity as it stands, is 6,500MW. This government has added 2,700MW of electricity to the national grid with the help of 58 fuel-based power plants, out of which 38 are rental and quick rental plants.
In the last five years, the per capita electricity consumption has increased to 310kWh from 220kWh.
The premier said her government had already installed 150,000 line kilometers, and smart grid projects which being implemented. It has also undertaken four mega coal based power plants, each having a capacity of 1,320MW. 500MW of power has already been imported from India. The government has started trading electricity with the neighbouring countries.
A lot of work has also been done to increase the electricity production for a higher national income.
In the past few years, 15 million people have gotten new electricity connections to their households. 116MW were produced from renewable sources like solar panels.
There are plans to import electricity from Bhutan and Nepal in the future. Furthermore, the government is looking for ways to produce more electricity from renewable sources like solar energy, wind, and water.
A solar power plant project of 100MW capacity is in the pipeline.
There is a little debate as to whether the “capacity” figure of 10,000MW can indeed be our actual production level.
Presently, the total consumption of electricity is 6,500MW, but actual production is in the vicinity of 8,500MW. 2,000MW is lost in the production process and is therefore unusable.