Power Sector of Bangladesh

[eastwatch]

PM eyes 11000MW by 2015 | Bangladesh | bdnews24.com

PM eyes 11000MW by 2015
Wed, Sep 8th, 2010 2:45 pm

Chittagong, Sep 8 (bdnews24.com)—Another 1600MW power will be added to the national grid by the end of this year and total generation will be raised to 11,000MW by 2015, prime minister Sheikh Hasina has said.

Hasina was addressing a rally at Shikolbaha, Chittagong on Wednesday, after inaugurating a 150MW peaking power plant. This declaration came amid a severe power crisis across the country. At present, average production is only 4000MW against a demand of about 5500MW, according to the Power Development Board.

Addressing the rally at the Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) ground, the prime minister said her government is working on a plan to add a total of another 9,426MW to the national grid by 2015. Hasina also vowed to set up a 2,000MW coal-based plant soon in the port city.

The prime minister also inaugurated the much-awaited third Karnaphuli Bridge, connecting Chittagong metropolitan city with the southern parts of the division.

"We are working to ensure economic liberation of the people," Hasina said and declared to make the country self-dependent by 2021.

"I also want to work for you, please keep faith in the government. We are working to ease the sufferings in the people's lives."

The prime minister promised developments for Chittagong and revealed that an initiative had been taken to regularise capital dredging in a bid to keep the Chittagong port working.

Also, she pledged expansion of road from Chittagong's Dohazari to China's Kung Ming province via Cox's Bazar's Ghumdhum, construction of a stadium in south Chittagong and embankments at Anowara and Bashkhali coasts, increase of Bangladesh Television's programmes for Chittagong station to 12 hours, and establishment of a deep sea port at Shonadia.

Before the rally, Hasina landed at Shikolbaha on a helicopter at 11.25am and inaugurated the 150MW peaking power plant at 12pm. Energy advisor Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, Enamul Haque and other senior officials of the power division accompanied her.

At the end of the rally, the prime minister opened the third Karnaphuli Bridge around 1.45pm. Communications minister Syed Abul Hossain, and top officials of the Roads and Highways Department and other senior officials were present.

 

[Donatello]

PM eyes 11000MW by 2015 | Bangladesh | bdnews24.com

PM eyes 11000MW by 2015
Wed, Sep 8th, 2010 2:45 pm

Chittagong, Sep 8 (bdnews24.com)—Another 1600MW power will be added to the national grid by the end of this year and total generation will be raised to 11,000MW by 2015, prime minister Sheikh Hasina has said.

Hasina was addressing a rally at Shikolbaha, Chittagong on Wednesday, after inaugurating a 150MW peaking power plant. This declaration came amid a severe power crisis across the country. At present, average production is only 4000MW against a demand of about 5500MW, according to the Power Development Board.

Addressing the rally at the Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) ground, the prime minister said her government is working on a plan to add a total of another 9,426MW to the national grid by 2015. Hasina also vowed to set up a 2,000MW coal-based plant soon in the port city.

The prime minister also inaugurated the much-awaited third Karnaphuli Bridge, connecting Chittagong metropolitan city with the southern parts of the division.

"We are working to ensure economic liberation of the people," Hasina said and declared to make the country self-dependent by 2021.

"I also want to work for you, please keep faith in the government. We are working to ease the sufferings in the people's lives."

The prime minister promised developments for Chittagong and revealed that an initiative had been taken to regularise capital dredging in a bid to keep the Chittagong port working.

Also, she pledged expansion of road from Chittagong's Dohazari to China's Kung Ming province via Cox's Bazar's Ghumdhum, construction of a stadium in south Chittagong and embankments at Anowara and Bashkhali coasts, increase of Bangladesh Television's programmes for Chittagong station to 12 hours, and establishment of a deep sea port at Shonadia.

Before the rally, Hasina landed at Shikolbaha on a helicopter at 11.25am and inaugurated the 150MW peaking power plant at 12pm. Energy advisor Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, Enamul Haque and other senior officials of the power division accompanied her.

At the end of the rally, the prime minister opened the third Karnaphuli Bridge around 1.45pm. Communications minister Syed Abul Hossain, and top officials of the Roads and Highways Department and other senior officials were present.

Bro,

It's all political rant until done. 9,426 MW of power is a lot to add in just 4 years. Opening of a small 150MW? Doesn't seem like all buzzed up power sector in Bangladesh.

I am still startled as how can Bangladesh consume only 4000MW with such a large population and a growing economy. Seems too less.

 

[TopCat]

Bro,

It's all political rant until done. 9,426 MW of power is a lot to add in just 4 years. Opening of a small 150MW? Doesn't seem like all buzzed up power sector in Bangladesh.

I am still startled as how can Bangladesh consume only 4000MW with such a large population and a growing economy. Seems too less.

Because Industry uses their own power. In villages its now solar power by Grameen

Governement can merely meet the demand of Dhaka with 4-8 hours load shedding

9000 MW is possible by 2015 as most of the work order is already placed.

 

[eastwatch]

Bro,

I am still startled as how can Bangladesh consume only 4000MW with such a large population and a growing economy. Seems too less.

Considering the number of our population, we need an installed capacity of more than 40,000 mW. The present 4000 mW is so inadequate that it has stalled industrial expansion. The govt may be talking big, but the target may also be attained.

Govt has taken steps to build new power plants. Shortly, another 250to 500 mW Indian current will be added. Yet, Burma govt wants to build a hydropower station(s) to supply power to BD. Talks about this are going on. So, our transmission lines will be supplying about 10,000 mW of electricity to the distribution lines in a few years, though the time may extend a little.

However, I am worried about the supply of gas to our own plants. No gas, no power, and the gas is already in short supply. Therefore, new coal-fired power plants should be built in our NW, where huge amounts of coal is available. The reserve is equivalent to a gas reserve of 90 trillion cft. To understand this size, note the huge gas reserves of Iran. It is just more than 900 trillion cft.

 

[fallstuff]

Bro,

I am still startled as how can Bangladesh consume only 4000MW with such a large population and a growing economy. Seems too less.

Iajdani answered your query. I will add that all the major factories including garment industry have their own power generation capacity and connected to the national natural gas grid.

 

[Evil Flare]

so what's the total output if we also add the pvt generation .

 

[TopCat]

so what's the total output if we also add the pvt generation .

Nobody really knows..

 

[akash57]

Little light bulbs make big impact on energy crises
Bangladesh's massive replacement project part of worldwide push for efficiency

Energy efficiency is seen as the low-hanging fruit in the global quest for clean, reliable energy and nations, rich or poor, want to partake in that harvest.

This summer, Bangladesh managed to break a world record related to energy efficiency set by Britain in 2008. In the course of a single day, people in 27 districts of the developing nation exchanged incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescent light bulbs, one light bulb at a time until five million CFLs were distributed.

"It was impressive," said Ashok Sarkar, a senior energy specialist with the World Bank involved in the bank-financed project.

"The entire process had the air of a popular election campaign," Sarkar wrote in a blog posted shortly after the June event. "The mood through the country was festive and people were happy to switch to CFLs and to help do what they could to improve the delicate electric power situation in Bangladesh."

Bangladesh is dealing with an energy crisis just as the demand for electricity in the country grows annually by a rate of nine per cent. Power outages and brownouts are commonplace, putting the brakes on economic development.

The deployment of low-energy bulbs in Bangladesh is seen as a relatively quick and effective form of energy efficiency by the government and the World Bank, which has been involved in similar programs in Thailand, Poland, Brazil and elsewhere.

Meanwhile, in developed industrial nations, energy efficiency is galvanizing big business.

A recent study by Ernst & Young, titled Action Amid Uncertainty: the Business Response to Climate Change, determined that 82 per cent of corporate executives worldwide intend to invest in energy-efficiency initiatives throughout the remainder of the year and into the first quarter of 2011.

"Our greatest challenges are to identify alternative energy sources to reduce our energy consumption and greater risk identification throughout our organization," the report quoted one respondent as saying.

Looking at U.S. venture capital investment in the U.S. clean technology market in the first quarter of 2010, Ernst & Young found that the energy-efficiency category had garnered the greatest number of deals.

One driver for a 100-per-cent increase year-over-year in activity in that category was a U.S. Senate bill that promised a prospective $6 billion in funding for such things as upgrades to the energy efficiency of buildings.

In the second quarter of 2010, the energy efficiency category received $199.3 million U.S. of venture capital investment in the United States.

The promotion of energy efficiency is a key goal of the World Energy Council, which is hosting World Energy Congress Montreal 2010, a forum expected to involve 3,500 world leaders in the field of energy.

Energy efficiency will be specifically discussed in a session on Tuesday in which it is described as "the equivalent of a new, large and almost untapped energy source" because avoiding energy consumption is preferable to adding more production.

Among the panellists scheduled for the Tuesday session is Paul Hamilton, a U.S. executive with Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management with operations in more than 100 countries.

Schneider believes there is "a significant opportunity for sustainably energy savings that is unaddressed by industry," Hamilton said.

Energy efficiency should be embedded in the heart of corporate culture and treated as a "life-cycle issue," he said in an interview.

"Energy really needs a seat at the board table ... (so company directors and key managers) are aware of it in the same way that people are aware of IT, health care, etc."

If it is at the board table, it will be measured and managed, Hamilton said.

At its last world congress in 2007, the World Energy Council figured that to meet the energy demand of all households worldwide, energy supplies must double by 2050.

And it identified energy efficiency as one of seven "policy areas" that need to be addressed to accomplish that. Energy efficiency must be promoted along the entire energy chain, the council said, from exploration to final energy use, including consumer-awareness campaigns, financial incentives along with standards and regulations.

In Bangladesh, before the first phase of the light-bulb exchange program was launched, a multi-prong public awareness campaign on the merits of the low-energy CFL bulbs was undertaken.

Next month, Bangladesh residents are to receive another five million CFLs. The deployment of a total of 10 million low-energy bulbs is estimated to have the same impact as installing 300 megawatts of additional generation capacity in the country, according to the World Bank.

And the government of Bangladesh is expected to give away another 17.5 million CFLs in the next phase of the program, which is linked to a wider venture that includes establishing solar homes in rural areas.

Read more: Little light bulbs make big impact on energy crises

 

[eastwatch]

Dhaka seeks US$ 210m funds to set up plant in Chittagong

DHAKA SEEKS US$210m FUND TO SET UP PLANT IN CTG
FHM Humayan Kabir

Bangladesh has sought nearly US$ 200 million in funds from donors to set up a 225 megawatt power plant in south-western Bangladesh to meet electricity demand of the energy-devouring industrial hub of Chittagong, officials said.

Finance ministry officials said they have already sent out requests to half a dozen of Middle Eastern donors to bankroll the 225mw power plant at Shikalbaha in Chittagong, which has already been delayed by three years due to fund shortage.

"We need about US$ 210 million in foreign assistance to set up the US$ 282 million's worth 225mw power plant," a senior economic relations division (ERD) official told the FE Friday.

The state-owned Power Development Board (PDB) has undertaken the duel-fuel power generation project in 2007 to fight acute electricity crisis in Bangladesh's port city of Chittagong.

A joint secretary of the ERD said, "we have requested the Islamic Development Bank, United Arab Emirates' state-owned donor Abu Dhabi Fund, Kuwait government's Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, Saudi Arabia, OPEC fund and the Iranian government.

"So far the Kuwait government has agreed to provide US$ 53 million funds for the Shikalbaha power plant. Besides, the Abu Dhabi Fund has also given an indication of providing some funds," he said.

The state-owned foreign fund mobilising agency ERD signed a draft loan agreement with the Kuwait government in July this year in Dhaka to set up the 225mw plant in a bid to cut outages in Chittagong, which has nearly 400mw power shortage a day.

Chittagong, also the prime port city of Bangladesh, is passing through severe power supply crunch due to growing demands by the newly set up industries and commercial establishments.

A PDB official said the 225mw Shikalbaha power station project, planned to be completed by FY2013, has already been delayed by three years.

"After confirmation of $53 million loan from the Kuwait government, we need the rest amount of $282 million funds. The ERD is vigorously searching for donors," he said.

The ERD joint secretary said: "We are hopeful of receiving assurance of funds from the Middle Eastern countries shortly."

The Shikalbaha 225mw power plant faced setback in its initial stage of planning in 2007 as the state-run energy corporation Petrobangla refused to supply natural gas to the plant due to shortage of gas production.

Petrobangla in August 2007 said it would not make commitment to supplying gas to eight power stations including 225mw Shikalbaha, 450mw Ashuganj, 210mw second unit of Shiddhirganj, 225mw Ghorashal, and 150mw Sylhet Gas Turbine power plants.

The PDB later revised its project plan and decided to set up a duel-fuel power station in Shikalbaha, so that it can be run on both natural gas and furnace oil.

"Since the power station will have provision of duel fuel, it can be run by furnace oil if there is a gas supply shortage. Now we need funds for implementing the project," the power division official said.

 

[eastwatch]

Plant of RZ Power gets PDB nod

Thursday, September 16, 2010
Plant of RZ Power gets PDB nod

Star Business ReportThe Power Development Board (PDB) has recently certified commercial commissioning of a 50-megawatt diesel-fired rental power plant built by local company RZ Power Ltd in Thakur-gaon.

RZ Power, a subsidiary of Rahimafrooz, commissioned its plant on August 2 after running trial operation from June 27 and generating around 6,545 mw-hours of power. In line with its contract with the government, the company was supposed to commercially launch the plant on June 4.

This is the first local rental power company to come into operation through a tender floated by the present government.

The plant consists of Mitsubishi engines that were delivered to the project site within the first two months of signing an agreement with the Power Development Board in early February, said a statement.

The project was delayed by two months due to some major setbacks like delay in delivery of some plant equipment and mobilising the equipment to the site due to bad weather. RZ Power paid the PDB a penalty of Tk 5.25 crore to compensate the delay.

 

[akash57]

Dhaka seeks US$ 210m funds to set up plant in Chittagong

FHM Humayan Kabir

Bangladesh has sought nearly US$ 200 million in funds from donors to set up a 225 megawatt power plant in south-western Bangladesh to meet electricity demand of the energy-devouring industrial hub of Chittagong, officials said.

Finance ministry officials said they have already sent out requests to half a dozen of Middle Eastern donors to bankroll the 225mw power plant at Shikalbaha in Chittagong, which has already been delayed by three years due to fund shortage.

"We need about US$ 210 million in foreign assistance to set up the US$ 282 million's worth 225mw power plant," a senior economic relations division (ERD) official told the FE Friday.

The state-owned Power Development Board (PDB) has undertaken the duel-fuel power generation project in 2007 to fight acute electricity crisis in Bangladesh's port city of Chittagong.

A joint secretary of the ERD said, "we have requested the Islamic Development Bank, United Arab Emirates' state-owned donor Abu Dhabi Fund, Kuwait government's Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, Saudi Arabia, OPEC fund and the Iranian government.

"So far the Kuwait government has agreed to provide US$ 53 million funds for the Shikalbaha power plant. Besides, the Abu Dhabi Fund has also given an indication of providing some funds," he said.

The state-owned foreign fund mobilising agency ERD signed a draft loan agreement with the Kuwait government in July this year in Dhaka to set up the 225mw plant in a bid to cut outages in Chittagong, which has nearly 400mw power shortage a day.

Chittagong, also the prime port city of Bangladesh, is passing through severe power supply crunch due to growing demands by the newly set up industries and commercial establishments.

A PDB official said the 225mw Shikalbaha power station project, planned to be completed by FY2013, has already been delayed by three years.

"After confirmation of $53 million loan from the Kuwait government, we need the rest amount of $282 million funds. The ERD is vigorously searching for donors," he said.

The ERD joint secretary said: "We are hopeful of receiving assurance of funds from the Middle Eastern countries shortly."

The Shikalbaha 225mw power plant faced setback in its initial stage of planning in 2007 as the state-run energy corporation Petrobangla refused to supply natural gas to the plant due to shortage of gas production.

Petrobangla in August 2007 said it would not make commitment to supplying gas to eight power stations including 225mw Shikalbaha, 450mw Ashuganj, 210mw second unit of Shiddhirganj, 225mw Ghorashal, and 150mw Sylhet Gas Turbine power plants.

The PDB later revised its project plan and decided to set up a duel-fuel power station in Shikalbaha, so that it can be run on both natural gas and furnace oil.

"Since the power station will have provision of duel fuel, it can be run by furnace oil if there is a gas supply shortage. Now we need funds for implementing the project," the power division official said.

Dhaka seeks US$ 210m funds to set up plant in Chittagong

 

[akash57]

Sikalbaha Power Plant resumes production

Talha Bin Habib

The Sikalbaha Power Plant in Chittagong restarted its power generation from yesterday following the reports of 'Performance Acceptance Committee' of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).

The power plant, with a capacity to generate 150 MW, was briefly shut down soon after the start of its operation for 'guarantee test' by the concerned department officials, sources said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the newly built power plant on September 8 last. After launching the power generation, it was shut down briefly for setting up equipments for guarantee test of the plant.

Earlier, a five-member committee was formed by BPDB to look into the matter. The committee, after evaluation, gave green signal for power generation.

The Chinese company 'Sino Hydro Corporation has built the power plant. And the foreign company has handed over it to the BPDB.

The Sikalbaha power plant requires 38 million cubic metre of gas everyday. The other power plants in Chittagong also require a total of 172 million cubic feet gas, a highly placed source of BPDB told The New Nation yesterday.

Against the total demand, the Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Ltd supplies only 87 million cubic metre of gas.

If the Sikalbaha Power Plant gets gas supply smoothly from 5 pm to 11 pm then it will be possible to generate targeted power.

To run the newly built power plant, it will need at least 15 million cubic metre of gas for smooth generation of power during the peak hour, giving respite to the clients from load shedding during the night, sources of the plant said.

The newly built Sikalbaha Power Plant was supplied required gas yesterday and generated its targeted 150 MW power, it added.

Meanwhile, the amount of loadshedding in the country has significantly dropped for the last couple of days.

The target generation of power yesterday was 4,490 MW against the total demand of around 4,850 MW and loadshedding was 319 MW and on Friday only 150 MW loadshedding was recorded, sources of BPDB said.

The New Nation - Internet Edition

 

[akash57]

China-Bangladesh Joint Venture to Produce Low Cost Solar Panels

Dhaka, Sept 27: A joint venture, between a Chinese and a Bangladeshi company, will produce low cost, but more efficient solar panels to tape the country’s growing market for green energy especially among rural population.

The joint venture of Bangladeshi Auto Power Private Limited and Chinese Zhejiang Jinxi Solar Energy Equipment Company Limited is expected to start production early next year, company sources said.

A factory has already been set up in Gazipur to produce the low cost solar panels ranged between 50 watts to 1500 watts for low to high demanding customers.

It is now arranging shipments of equipments and machineries from China, which will take three months to be installed.

The factory will produce small to big solar panels at prices ranged between Taka 15,000 to 400,000, which will be cheaper than the products now available in the market.

According to company sources, the panel of 300 watts worth Taka 30,000 will be good enough to meet the power demand of two ceiling fans and four energy saving light bulbs.

The biggest panel of 1500 watts will supply electricity for four ceiling fans and 20 energy saving light bulbs, which will cost around Taka 400,000.

People will get AC electricity from the panels as those will have in-built inverter.Traditional solar panels generate DC electricity, which is not capable of running AC-only ceiling fans.

http://www.energybangla.com/index.php?mod=article&cat=GreenPage&article=2751

 

[eastwatch]

South Asian Media Net

POWER CVRISIS WORSENS
Thursday, September 30,2010

DHAKA: Power shortage again increased in last few days as a number of power plants have tripped recently. Now, the power distribution agencies have to go for extensive load shedding across the countries including the capital. City residents in many areas have been experiencing 5-7 hours of load shedding at different spells. According to officials in state-owned Power Development Board (PDB), the power generation has come down to around 4100 megawatt from a level of 4600 MW. But the countrywide demand still persists at above 6000 MW amid fall in power generation.

As a result, the shortage is now believed to be nearly 2000 MW. PDB officials said that a number of power generation units at different power stations went out of order due to technical faults and incidents of fire in recent days.

These include two units at Ghorasal power station with each having 210- MW capacity, 125 MW unit-2 of Barapukuria coal-fired power station, and number of units at Ashuganj power station having generation range from 50 MW-150 MW.

Apart from this, a generation unit having 120-MW capacity at Siddhirganj power station also remained out of operation for few months following a technical fault.

"Forced shutdown of these units led to a big fall in the power generation," said a PDB official.

He, however, claimed that decline in gas supply also played a major role in the power generation fall. "During Ramadan, we used to receive about 820 million cubic feet gas (MMCF) per day for power plants. But now we're hardly getting 715 MMCF gas," he said.

Sources said the power generation will continue to decrease in the days ahead as the government recently decided to divert gas supply from power plants to fertilizer factories.

This diversion of gas is yet to start. But when the fertilizer factories will resume operation, the power plants will get less supply. As a result, power generation will fall further, said the PDB officials.

 

[akash57]

2 more units at Ashuganj

Brahmanbaria, Oct 2 (bdnews24.com) — Power secretary Abul Kalam Azad has said that two new units capable of producing up to 600MW will be added to the existing units of the Ashuganj thermal power plant.

"All preparations for the establishment of one 150MW and another 450MW unit under private-public partnership have been completed. The government has initiated the move due to the availability of natural gas in the area," the ministry official said.

He was speaking to journalists after surveying a fallow land beside the thermal plant for the construction of two units on Saturday evening.

"According to the incumbent coalition government's plan, Ashuganj plant will be turned into the country's most powerful within 2012," he continued.

"We will start work of another 55MW unit from our own funds within December," he added.

Following his tour, the secretary sat in a meeting with Brahmanbaria deputy commissioner Abdul Mannan, police superintendent Mokhlesur Rahman and other top officials.

2 more units at Ashuganj | Bangladesh | bdnews24.com