Power & Energy

Bangladesh has edged close to cent percent electrification, as around 99.5 percent people have already come under electricity coverage, which was only 47 percent in 2009.

Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) is going to strengthen grid capacity by spending nearly Tk 7.75 billion in a bid to meet growing demand for power and ensure quality and reliable electricity to its subscribers.

The government is going to set up the country’s biggest solar power plant in Madarganj upazila of Jamalpur, in a move to raise the share of renewable energy in total power generation to 10 per cent by 2025.

The government may need to increase subsidy by an additional sum of Tk 165 billion in the power sector during the current fiscal year.

Electricity supply to Dhaka, Mymensingh and Rangpur will remain unaffected after closure of 10 coal-based power plants as surplus electricity from other areas will be used to recover the deficiency, said State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid.

The government has finally decided to scrap 10 coal-fired power plants having the combined capacity to generate 9346 megawatts (MW) of electricity.

The country’s renewable energy regulator has moved to revise the decade-old renewable energy policy to streamline it with the present situation and demand, officials said.

Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission has signed an agreement with Divine IT Limited and Giga Tech Limited (JV) to implement uniform accounting software for all companies in the sector of gas. The agreement was signed at Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission Office in the capital on May 23, 2021.

The overall progress of the 1200-megawatt Matarbari coal-fired power plant project is now around 42 percent while the implementation of Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) contract are around 52.11 percent.

Bangladesh has failed to achieve its target to raise the share of renewable energy to the total power generation to 10 per cent by 2020 amid constraints of resources, technologies and policies.