Bangladesh edges closer to total electrification

[Black_cats]

Bangladesh edges closer to total electrification
Reaz Ahmad

• Published at 10:55 pm March 2nd, 2021

Representational photo Bigstock

Experts for better demand projection and use of renewable energy for power generation
With Bangladesh celebrating 50 years of its emergence as an independent nation and graduation to a developing economy from a least developed one, the country is also right on track to ensure 100% electrification by this year.

Officials and experts note that the country is already able to supply electricity to 97% of the population as the installed power generation capacity is now well in excess of 23,000 megawatts (MW). The remaining 3% should all have access to power by this year.

Official sources confirmed to Dhaka Tribune that the government had already identified some off-grid pockets and supported any private initiatives to install home solar systems and other renewable electricity generation and distribution options.

However, some experts expressed caution over the government’s bearing high costs of “idle power” due to a mismatch between low demand and high electricity generation capacity, subsidies and a rising power tariff.

Ahsan Mansur, executive director of the independent think tank Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh, yesterday said Bangladesh was on track to achieve 100% electrification this year.

He was speaking at a discussion entitled “Powering Up a Country into the Middle-Income Club.”

The discussion was part of a four-day conference on “Decentralized Electrification, Network Interconnection and Local Power Markets” that kicked off virtually in celebration of Bangladesh’s 50th anniversary of Independence.

Mansur cautioned that the government required a significant amount of money for idle capacity as Bangladesh’s installed power capacity now stood above 23,000 MW whereas actual power requirement was hardly 13,000 MW.

The country can rationalize the power tariff and do away with the subsidy burden by projecting electricity demand and generation more pragmatically, he said.

Bangladesh edges closer to total electrification

Experts for better demand projection and use of renewable energy for power generation

www.dhakatribune.com

 

[Bossman]

What about all the people living on boats

 

[mb444]

In this case i would not worry about excess capacity. It will be used and more needed particularly if we can get ev powered vehicles made popular in country.

 

[bluesky]

Officials and experts note that the country is already able to supply electricity to 97% of the population as the installed power generation capacity is now well in excess of 23,000 megawatts (MW). The remaining 3% should all have access to power by this year.

23,000 mW capacity is better than 4,000 mW the once capacity. At least 150,000 mW of power is needed for the entire country with a population of 168 million.

I have seen rural electrification. It is provided with low voltage power. People uses very low 20 Watt (?) bulbs in almost all houses. However, the situation may not be improved unless the country has enough industries for the people to work and earn money.

It is not only supply, but it involves people's power to pay the monthly electric bills that can be earned when people have enough earnings.

 

[That Guy]

I'm guessing BD's small geography helps. You don't have to drag power lines across massive distances, as most of the population is heavily centralized.

 

[mb444]

23,000 mW capacity is better than 4,000 mW the once capacity. At least 150,000 mW of power is needed for the entire country with a population of 168 million.

I have seen rural electrification. It is provided with low voltage power. People uses very low 20 Watt (?) bulbs in almost all houses. However, the situation may not be improved unless the country has enough industries for the people to work and earn money.

It is not only supply, but it involves people's power to pay the monthly electric bills that can be earned when people have enough earnings.

I am sure BD has moved to led bulbs....20w would then be massive... a 8 watt led is equivalent to a 60 watt standard bulb. They are only getting better and more efficient.

BD needs to progress in this field if it has not already.

 

[Bilal9]

What about all the people living on boats

Oh the few hundred.

They have solar kits too.

I am sure BD has moved to led bulbs....20w would then be massive... a 8 watt led is equivalent to a 60 watt standard bulb. They are only getting better and more efficient.

BD needs to progress in this field if it has not already.

CFL's were produced in Bangladesh some two decades ago. Local LED bulb production started about 5 years ago.

 

[VikingRaider]

I have seen rural electrification. It is provided with low voltage power
People uses very low 20 Watt (?) bulbs in almost all houses

Are you literally living in dark age? When did you come to Bangladesh last time?

Now even a 18 watt LED tube light provide almost double illumination than old days 40 watt tube lights that stared with manual starter.

And such 2 tube lights of 18 watts on both side will literally make your 150/100 room shining like daylight!

And these LED tube lights also last much longer, and have 1 year replacement warranty!

 

[xyxmt]

I hear Mumbai was totally electrified very recently

 

[Bilal9]

Are you literally living in dark age? When did you come to Bangladesh last time?

Now even a 18 watt LED tube light provide almost double illumination than old days 40 watt tube lights that stared with manual starter.

And such 2 tube lights of 18 watts on both side will literally make your 150/100 room shining like daylight!

And these LED tube lights also last much longer, and have 1 year replacement warranty!

Maza aa gaya....

 

[Bilal9]

I'm guessing BD's small geography helps. You don't have to drag power lines across massive distances, as most of the population is heavily centralized.

That is true. Some large steam engines driven direct current (DC) dynamos (generators) established in Dhaka (thanks to Dhaka's Nawab family) were producing DC power as early as the late 1890's (no later than say Calcutta, which was the pioneer in the subcontinent). This had changed to AC power by WWII.

After the creation of Pakistan, the then Pakistan government formed Electricity directorate to develop the power sector of the country.

In 1957, the electricity directorate acquired all the private power stations and transmission lines in the country.

In the year of 1958, East Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (EPWAPDA) was formed to effectively manage the power sector in the then East Pakistan. In 1960, the electricity directorate with all its assets was merged with EPWAPDA. Chittagong, Khulna and Shiddhirganj power stations was constructed at that time of which Shiddhirganj power station was the largest with 10MW installed capacity.

In 1962, the Karnafuli Hydropower Station at Kaptai (with a man-made dam) became operational. With two units of 40MW installed capacity each, it became the largest power plant in the country. The first long range transmission line was built connecting Kaptai with Shiddhirganj via 273 km long 132kV transmission line in 1962.

Bangladesh in spite of being poor, benefitted from early investments (sometimes with foreign aid) in power grid, power stations in far flung places to benefit industrial installations and REB (Rural Electrification Cooperative Board) which was modeled after the US Rural Electrification Cooperative practices - that started in Bangladesh in the mid 1970's.

Power lines started to be heavily networked after 1975, even to remote villages by the mid-80's. General Zia and successive administrations did some good work in this area. REB was a USAID project with American creosote-treated pine log poles for 4.8KV transmission which started to be replaced only in the last decade by locally made concrete and zinc coated galvanized steel poles. The smaller rivers were crossed with very high 132KV towers as I recall seeing.

The movement to increase power output went up in the last two decades. At first it was barge mounted rental power plants which were expensive because they were sometimes run by imported heavy fuel oil. Then stationary power stations started being built in large numbers. We currently have several (2-3) large power stations in the pipeline (All of them exceeding 1200 or so MW each) and many smaller ones, but even at present demand is not exceeding supply, which is good for the industrial boom we are hopefully expecting.

List of power stations in Bangladesh - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Distribution grid equipment used to be mostly imported, but local distribution transformers up to 132 KV size are now widely manufactured. Turbines and generators are still imported however.

 

[Mohamed Bin Tughlaq]

Bengalis are the smartest people in the subcontinent by a large margin and distance. Bangladesh will be far ahead both India and Pakistan in the next 25 years by a very large margin at that

 

[Bilal9]

Bengalis are the smartest people in the subcontinent by a large margin and distance. Bangladesh will be far ahead both India and Pakistan in the next 25 years by a very large margin at that

Bhai bless your heart for such kind words.

Every nation has smart folks.

A lot of visionary ideas and groundwork were laid in East Pakistan by our West Pakistani bhais and uncles, leaders and bureaucrats. We in Bangladesh cannot deny those things - as I mentioned in my last post. Bangladeshis cannot take sole credit for what we have, but yes we did start from scratch mostly in 1971. The separation of our countries in 1971 due to Indian saajish was a setback for us in Bangladesh, considering loss of half of our talent.

The Ashuganj and Kaptai power stations were built with state of the art German and American technology of the day in the 60's, cutting edge and unheard of in the subcontinent.

My elders told me that Ashuganj had German technology thirty years ahead of the time. All analog, and super reliable.

The Germans also set up Khulna Shipyard in the 1960's, which is capable of building frigates even today. The design of the yard is many years ahead of anything seen in our subcontinent.

We in Bangladesh also have our share of occasional burbaks and ahammuks too.

I am one - unfortunately.

 

[Bilal9]

The newest commissioned power plant in Bangladesh is Payra Power Station in the port of Payra in Southern Bangladesh - built with Chinese expertise and technology (Ultra High Super critical coal plant). Total generation capacity is 1980 MW, of which 660MW has been commissioned so far.

 

[Michael Corleone]

What about all the people living on boats

If they live on boats, they can afford generators

23,000 mW capacity is better than 4,000 mW the once capacity. At least 150,000 mW of power is needed for the entire country with a population of 168 million.

I have seen rural electrification. It is provided with low voltage power. People uses very low 20 Watt (?) bulbs in almost all houses. However, the situation may not be improved unless the country has enough industries for the people to work and earn money.

It is not only supply, but it involves people's power to pay the monthly electric bills that can be earned when people have enough earnings.

Rural switched to polli electricity and solar long back no? It’s solar in my village

Oh the few hundred.

They have solar kits too.


CFL's were produced in Bangladesh some two decades ago. Local LED bulb production started about 5 years ago.

Seen some blindingly powerful leds installed at local markets. I reckon there should be regulations limiting wattage of bulbs used

Bengalis are the smartest people in the subcontinent by a large margin and distance. Bangladesh will be far ahead both India and Pakistan in the next 25 years by a very large margin at that

Unfortunately very gullible too. They end up being taken advantage of because they trust outsiders more than themselves