Country’s power generation in 2013 surpassed the previous record in 2012, after 500 MW electricity import from neighbouring India boosted the capacity.
As a result, the achievement in power sector in 2013 appeared to be relatively better compared to 2012. But if the import from India is not taken into account, the nett new generation in 2013 was only 638 MW.
Official data available with the Power Ministry showed that the government has added 638 MW of electricity generation to the national grid by completing the installation of four power plants in the year 2013 while it imported 500 MW of power from India.
This resulted in enhancing the total addition to 1138 MW from January –December 2013 compared with 951 MW in 2012.
The four power plants, whose installation were completed in 2013, are Haripur 412 MW combined cycle, Khulna 150 MW gas turbine, Ashuganj 51 MW, and Raozan .25 MW power plant.
Of these four power plants in 2013, three were set up in the public sector and one (Ashuganj 51 MW) in the private sector.
In November this year, the government celebrated an event marking the crossing of power generation benchmark of 10,000 MW. But some officials differed with the government’s claim about this benchmark as the country still has to experience load shedding during the peak hours in the hot summer.
They said the government’s installed power generation capacity reached 10,000 MW mark, but the country’s available generation and supply capacity is much lower at 6,000 MW-plus.
Admitting the fact, the then Advisor to the Prime Minister, Dr. Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said this happens because about 2000 MW could not be generated due to gas shortage, 1000 MW for limitation of distribution and transmission system, and another 1,000 MW for maintenance programme.
He said the country’s power generation achieved 110 percent growth in last five years due to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s dynamic and visionary leadership. “This is more than what was spelled out in the election manifesto of the Awami League… in terms of overall performance the government deserves to get ‘Golden A’.”
Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi, however, parried a question as to how much subsidy was given to power generation and as to how much power production cost has gone up in the last five years.
Power Ministry’s official statistics show the power generation capacity now stands at 10,264 MW of which 5,962 MW (58 percent) belongs to public the sector while the private sector generates 4,302 MW (42 percent) including 500 MW import from India.
After assuming office in January 2009, the Awami League government announced a mega plan and took massive initiative to increase power generation in the country.
Until, December 2013, the government signed a total of 68 contracts to set up 70 power generation plants of different ranges having total installed capacity of 9,909 MW. Of these, 38 power plants having total capacity of 3,489 MW were commissioned.
Of the plants, 1397 MW is gas based; 1577 MW furnace oil-fired (FO) and 515 MW diesel-run plants. Thirty-two projects with the capacity of 6,420 MW are now under construction.
Source: UNB Connect
