UNB, Dhaka :
Four major projects involving over Tk 4000 crore are being implemented in the country’s south-western part to give the power consumers a relief from load-shedding and other power supply interruptions.
The projects are strengthening power distribution (Tk 832 crore), up-gradation and expansion of power distribution (Tk 1249 crore), expansion and augmentation of power distribution (Tk 1260 crore) and installation of SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system . West Zone Power Distribution Company Ltd (West Zone Power Company) has been implementing the projects in its command areas of 22 districts located in the country’s south-western part with a target to ensure an uninterrupted and quality power supply to its over 1.1 million consumers. The districts are: Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira, Narail, Jessore, Jhenidah, Magura, Kushtia, Meherpur and Chuadanga in Khulna Division, Faridpur, Rajbari, Dhaka, Madaripur, Shariatpur and Gopalganj in Dhaka Division and Barisal, Jhalakathi, Patuakhali, Barguna, Bhola and Pirojpur in Barisal Division.
“Our prime target is to improve the quality of power supply and ensure an uninterrupted power distribution by 2021,” said Engineer Md. Shafique Uddin, managing director of the West Zone Power Distribution Company.
In an exclusive interview with UNB, he gave a brief description of the projects with their goals and implementation timeline. The West Zone Power Company was created in 2002 as
part of unbundling of power sector under the government’s reform programme to bring efficiency in the electricity system.
However, due to stiff opposition from the labour unions the company had to wait until 2005 to start its operation. Before inception of the company, the areas were under the jurisdiction of state-owned Power Development Board (PDB). “Within a decade of the company’s takeover, the high system loss in the area came down to 9.40 percent from over 27 percent,” said West Zone managing director.
He said, the company has already introduced 63,000 pre-payment metres to its consumers in Khulna area and also undertook a separate project to introduce another 500,000 smart-prepayment metres for its consumers in next few years. Once the smart-prepayment meters are installed, the consumers would not need to go to any vending station to recharge the meters, he said adding, they can recharge their meters from home and anywhere else through their mobile phones. “The proposed meters are most modern one and West Zone has already signed a MoU with Chinese firm Hexing China to set up a manufacturing plant in Khulna for in-house production of the device.”
Four major projects involving over Tk 4000 crore are being implemented in the country’s south-western part to give the power consumers a relief from load-shedding and other power supply interruptions.
The projects are strengthening power distribution (Tk 832 crore), up-gradation and expansion of power distribution (Tk 1249 crore), expansion and augmentation of power distribution (Tk 1260 crore) and installation of SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system . West Zone Power Distribution Company Ltd (West Zone Power Company) has been implementing the projects in its command areas of 22 districts located in the country’s south-western part with a target to ensure an uninterrupted and quality power supply to its over 1.1 million consumers. The districts are: Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira, Narail, Jessore, Jhenidah, Magura, Kushtia, Meherpur and Chuadanga in Khulna Division, Faridpur, Rajbari, Dhaka, Madaripur, Shariatpur and Gopalganj in Dhaka Division and Barisal, Jhalakathi, Patuakhali, Barguna, Bhola and Pirojpur in Barisal Division.
“Our prime target is to improve the quality of power supply and ensure an uninterrupted power distribution by 2021,” said Engineer Md. Shafique Uddin, managing director of the West Zone Power Distribution Company.
In an exclusive interview with UNB, he gave a brief description of the projects with their goals and implementation timeline. The West Zone Power Company was created in 2002 as
part of unbundling of power sector under the government’s reform programme to bring efficiency in the electricity system.
However, due to stiff opposition from the labour unions the company had to wait until 2005 to start its operation. Before inception of the company, the areas were under the jurisdiction of state-owned Power Development Board (PDB). “Within a decade of the company’s takeover, the high system loss in the area came down to 9.40 percent from over 27 percent,” said West Zone managing director.
He said, the company has already introduced 63,000 pre-payment metres to its consumers in Khulna area and also undertook a separate project to introduce another 500,000 smart-prepayment metres for its consumers in next few years. Once the smart-prepayment meters are installed, the consumers would not need to go to any vending station to recharge the meters, he said adding, they can recharge their meters from home and anywhere else through their mobile phones. “The proposed meters are most modern one and West Zone has already signed a MoU with Chinese firm Hexing China to set up a manufacturing plant in Khulna for in-house production of the device.”
