Anisul Islam Noor :
The government is working to make diversification in affordable power supply in country for which electricity generation and electricity import in lucrative price are given privilege.
“We have planned to add electricity from nuclear power plants, solar, coal, gas and diesel and furnace oil to supply quality and uninterrupted electricity to the industries and households, also took initiative to import electricity from our neighbouring countries in affordable price,” said Nasrul Hamid, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.
Talking with The New Nation on Sunday, the Minister said that the whole country would be covered under high voltage smart grid, which will make easy electricity distribution and voltage control even electricity import also.
As part of the plan, Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) will set up 400- Kilo volts (KV) high-voltage double-circuit 260-kilometre grid line from Barapukuria to Kaliakoir through Bogura.
The State-run PGCB will construct the electricity transmission line with the financial support from the Indian second Line of Credit (LoC-II). Besides, a 400/230kv sub-station at Kaliakoir and 230kv switching station at Parbotipur will be set up.
Over the last few years, Bangladesh signed several deals with India, Nepal and Bhutan to import power through the Indian Territory. Bangladesh is also working jointly with the Nepalese government to set up some hydro power plants there aimed at bringing electricity into the country. It has already taken up a Tk 330.22 crore project to lay the transmission grid.
Out of the total cost, more than half will come from the Indian LoC-II as the project assistance. The rest will be provided from the government’s own funds. This power grid will help Bangladesh to connect with the cross-border and regional transmission lines, sources said. The PGCB grid will be extended up to the Barapukuria border line, while Indian government will construct the similar line up to the border area to connect with the Barapukuria grid. The Indian Adani Group will set up a 1,600-megawatt (MW) power station at the Indian State of Jharkhand to export electricity in Bangladesh through the proposed Barapukuria-Kaliakoir grid.
The Adani Group will complete the construction of the power station at Jharkhand by 2023.
The PGCB will also complete the installation of the Barapukuria-Bogura-Kaliakoir grid line by 2022, the official said.
