Anisul Islam Noor :
The government’s priority is to ensure maximum power supply to irrigation pumps during the summer for keeping paddy production at required level, said Taufiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, Energy Adviser of Prime Minister.
In the coming summer, gas supply in the fertilizer factories will gradually come to a halt in order to increase power generation by diverting additional gas supply in the power plants, he said.
The country’s irrigation season normally starts in March and continues till June, and the government has to supply additional 2000 MW electricity to irrigation pumps.
Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury disclosed this, while briefing reporters at Biddyut Bhaban in the city on Wednesday on the eve of five new power plants projects which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will formally inaugurate on Thursday through a video conference.
Officials said if the gas supply to seven fertilizer factories, out of eight, is suspended, the power plants will get additional 225 million cubic feet of gas a day (mmcfd) to enhance power generation by 500 MW.
According to a World Bank report, there are 1.34 million diesel and 270,000 electricity run pumps for irrigation.
Tawfiq-e-Elahi said, the government has been trying to increase gas supply as there is gap between supply and consumption demand in the country.
About an LNG project for which the government signed initial deal, he said, negotiation with the American company has been finalised and the final deal will be signed when its officials will arrive here within the next few months.
He said, the power generation has improved to a significant level since the country’s 80 percent people have access to electricity. “We want to increase it by 95 percent within the current term of the government.”
Power Secretary Monwar Islam said, the number of power consumers have now reached two crore from 1.08 crore in 2009.
He, however, said the load-shedding will not stop until development programmes in transmission and distribution are completed. “Earlier, the government put priority on power generation and now the focus is on transmission and distribution.”
The power secretary said, the five power projects which the Prime Minister will inaugurate on Thursday are four power generation plants and one for providing new electricity connections to 6,000 consumers at Kotalipara upazila in Gopalganj district.
All the four power generation projects are already supplying power to the national grid.
Of these, the 108 MW Patiya and 52 MW Jangalia power plants were set up at private sector by Independent Power Producer (IPP) while 225 MW Ashuganj unit and 150 MW Gazipur power plants were set up by the government agencies.
The government’s priority is to ensure maximum power supply to irrigation pumps during the summer for keeping paddy production at required level, said Taufiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, Energy Adviser of Prime Minister.
In the coming summer, gas supply in the fertilizer factories will gradually come to a halt in order to increase power generation by diverting additional gas supply in the power plants, he said.
The country’s irrigation season normally starts in March and continues till June, and the government has to supply additional 2000 MW electricity to irrigation pumps.
Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury disclosed this, while briefing reporters at Biddyut Bhaban in the city on Wednesday on the eve of five new power plants projects which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will formally inaugurate on Thursday through a video conference.
Officials said if the gas supply to seven fertilizer factories, out of eight, is suspended, the power plants will get additional 225 million cubic feet of gas a day (mmcfd) to enhance power generation by 500 MW.
According to a World Bank report, there are 1.34 million diesel and 270,000 electricity run pumps for irrigation.
Tawfiq-e-Elahi said, the government has been trying to increase gas supply as there is gap between supply and consumption demand in the country.
About an LNG project for which the government signed initial deal, he said, negotiation with the American company has been finalised and the final deal will be signed when its officials will arrive here within the next few months.
He said, the power generation has improved to a significant level since the country’s 80 percent people have access to electricity. “We want to increase it by 95 percent within the current term of the government.”
Power Secretary Monwar Islam said, the number of power consumers have now reached two crore from 1.08 crore in 2009.
He, however, said the load-shedding will not stop until development programmes in transmission and distribution are completed. “Earlier, the government put priority on power generation and now the focus is on transmission and distribution.”
The power secretary said, the five power projects which the Prime Minister will inaugurate on Thursday are four power generation plants and one for providing new electricity connections to 6,000 consumers at Kotalipara upazila in Gopalganj district.
All the four power generation projects are already supplying power to the national grid.
Of these, the 108 MW Patiya and 52 MW Jangalia power plants were set up at private sector by Independent Power Producer (IPP) while 225 MW Ashuganj unit and 150 MW Gazipur power plants were set up by the government agencies.
