BSS, Chittagong :
Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) has taken up TK 1054 crore mega project for development of electric supply management system in Chittagong region.
The project includes electric supply to Sandwip through 80 kilometers submarine cables under the Bay of Bengal side by side with installation and repair of electric transmission lines in five districts under Chittagong region.
PDB has taken up the project titled “Development of Electric Supply System in Chittagong Region” in order to merge Sandwaip with the national power grid, PDB sources said.
The sources said the Pre-ECNEC (Executive Committee of the National Economic Council) meeting has fixed TK 1,054 crore for the project which will be finalized in the ECNEC meeting likely to be held soon.
Of the estimated expenditure, the government will provide TK 1030 crore from own fund while the rest TK 24 crore will be available from PDB fund, PDB sources added.
Mohammad Nazrul Islam, Chief Engineer of PDB Chittagong south region told BSS that the project has already been approved in pre-ECNEC meeting and the project work will start after final approval in ECNEC meeting.
He said about TK 110 crore would be spent to add Sandwip with the national power grid through 80 Kilometers submarine cable line under the project.
“As part of the project, we will supply power to Sandwip Island from Chittagong through submarine cables”, he said adding that new 1500 kilometers electric lines would be installed in five districts and existing 3,000 kilometers electric supply lines in whole of Chittagong region will get refurbishment under the project.
PDB now supplies limited power in some parts of Sanwip through a generator and solar panels by a private company.
PDB sources said PDB now supplies 750 Megawatts (MW) electricity against per day demand of 850 MW in Chittagong and the demand may increase to 4000 MW by 2021.
The government has taken up the mega project as part of its preparation to cope with the growing demand of electricity, the sources added.
