Electricity sector in Bangladesh
Data | |
---|---|
Electricity coverage | 100% (2022) |
Installed capacity | 25,700 MW |
Production | 80.4 TWh FY21 |
Consumption by sector (% of total) | |
Residential | 56.42% FY21 |
Industrial | 28.40% FY21 |
Agriculture | 2.43% FY21 |
Commercial and public sector | 12.74% FY21 |
Tariffs and financing | |
Share of government financing (2022) | 56%[1] |
Share of private financing (2022) | 44% |
Institutions | |
Responsibility for transmission | Power Grid Company of Bangladesh |
Responsibility for policy-setting | Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Bangladesh Power Development Board |
Electricity sector law | Energy Regulatory Commission Act |
The utility electricity sector in Bangladesh has one national grid with an installed capacity of 25,700 MW as of June 2022. Bangladesh's energy sector is not up to the mark. However, per capita energy consumption in Bangladesh is considered higher than the production. Electricity was introduced to the country on 7 December 1901
Electricity is the major source of power for most of the country's economic activities. Bangladesh's total installed electricity generation capacity (including captive power) is 25,700 MW. It was 15,351 megawatts (MW) as of January 2017[2] and 20,000 megawatts in 2018.[3]
The largest energy consumers in Bangladesh are industries and the residential sector, followed by the commercial and agricultural sectors.[4]
Bangladesh will need an estimated 34,000 MW of power by 2030 to sustain its economic growth of over 7 percent.[5]
Problems in Bangladesh's electric power sector include high system losses, delays in completion of new plants, low plant efficiency, erratic power supply, electricity theft, blackouts, and shortages of funds for power plant maintenance. Overall, the country's generation plants have been unable to meet system demand over the past decade.[citation needed]
On the 2nd of November, 2014, electricity was restored after a day-long nationwide blackout. A transmission line from India had failed, which "led to a cascade of failures throughout the national power grid," and criticism of "old grid infrastructure and poor management." However, in a recent root-cause analysis report the investigating team has clarified that the fault was actually due to lack of coordination and poor health of transmission and distribution infrastructure that caused the blackout.[6][7]
On 4 October 2022, 70–80% of the country's 168 million residence were hit with blackouts and only 45% of residences were restored with power by nightfall. There was a shortage of natural gas because of the
Sources of energy
As of 2011, 79 natural gas wells were present in the 23 operational gas fields which produce over 2,000 million
CNG is substituting more than US$0.8 billion worth of foreign exchange annually and is also used in most vehicles on the road. In addition to CNG, the
Efforts to develop an open-pit coal mine in
Renewable energy
According to the Bangladesh's Power Sector Master Plan 2016 (PSMP–2016), the country has the potential to generate a combined 3.6 GW of electricity from renewable energy sources.[14] Another research has estimated that the potential from wind power alone stands at 20 GW.[14]
The government of Bangladesh has approved the construction by private developers of 19 on-grid solar parks, with would have cumulative generation capacity of 1070 MW.[15] A solar power plant having a power generation capacity of 28 MW has recently started its operation in Teknaf of Cox's Bazar. Accounting this, the power generation capacity from renewable energy sources exceeds five percent of the country's total demand. Technical Solartech Energy Ltd (TSEL) has installed this power plant in Teknaf utilizing a total of 116 acres of land. Currently, the power plant is feeding 20MW to the national grid.[16]
Bangladesh has planned to produce 10% of total power generation by 2020 from renewable energy sources like wind, waste, and solar energy. The country plans to increase its renewable energy share to 17% by 2041 under its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5% until 2030.[4]
The country's prospect of geothermal energy extraction has also been discussed by researchers.[17] Studies carried out by geologists suggested geothermal resources in northwest and southeast region.[18][19]
Recent plans
The government has prepared a Power System Master Plan (PSMP) including the reform activities to meet the growing demand. As per the plan, power generation capacity will be 40 GW by 2030 and 60 GW by 2041. To secure fuel supply, the government has planned for fuel diversification. Electricity generation from gas/LNG, liquid fuel, coal, nuclear, hydro, renewable and import from neighbouring countries have also been included in this plan. As per this plan, coal, nuclear, and gas/LNG-based combined cycle power plants will be used as base load power plants. Imported LNG will be used as complementary as local gas is limited. The integrated power and energy master plan is in the final stage in line with the upgradation of PSMP.
Description | Feb 2023 | 2030 | 2041 |
---|---|---|---|
Installed capacity (MW) | 26700* | 40000 | 60000 |
Electricity demand (MW) | 15500 | 33000 | 52000 |
Transmission line (circuit km) | 14546 | 27300 | 34850 |
Grid substation capacity (MVA) | 58076 | 120000 | 261000 |
Per capita power generation (kWh) | 609 | 815 | 1475 |
Access to Electricity (%) | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Inefficiencies and infrastructure
Bangladesh has small reserves of oil and coal, but very large natural gas resources. Commercial energy consumption comes mostly from natural gas (around 66%), followed by oil, hydropower, and coal. Non-commercial energy sources, such as wood fuel, and crop residues, are estimated to account for over half of the country's energy consumption.
A 2014 news report stated that:
Bangladesh is considered one of the most energy-poor nations, with one of the lowest per capita electricity consumption rates in the world. More than a third of Bangladesh's 166 million people still have no access to electricity, while the country often is able to produce only some of its 11,500-megawatt generation capacity.[7]
In generating and distributing electricity, the failure to adequately manage the load leads to extensive load shedding which results in severe disruption in the industrial production and other economic activities. A recent survey reveals that power outages result in a loss of industrial output worth $1 billion a year which reduces the GDP growth by about half a percentage point in Bangladesh. A major hurdle in efficiently delivering power is caused by the inefficient distribution system. It is estimated that the total transmission and distribution losses in Bangladesh amount to one-third of the total generation, the value of which is equal to US$247 million per year.
In 2011, there were proposals to upgrade the grid technologies to digital smart metering systems and investing in
Nuclear power
To ensure growing energy supply and reducing ghg emission, Bangladesh sees Nuclear energy as a viable option.
To this fact, the govt of Bangladesh has already started construction of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. It will be a 2.4 GWe nuclear power plant and will be the country's first. The power plant is being constructed at Rooppur of Pabna District, on the bank of the river Padma, 87 miles (140 km) west of Dhaka. The first of the two unit is expected to go into operation in 2024. Once completed, the plant is expected to generate around 15% of the nation's electricity demand.[citation needed]
2nd nuclear plant
The current government has decided to construct a 2nd nuclear plant in the southern part of the country. The possible sites are - Gangamati in Patuakhali, Majher Char in Barguna, Boyar Char in Noakhali and Muhurir Char in Feni. The project is still in early stage of development. Russian, Chinese and Korean companies has expressed interest to build and finance the project.[citation needed]
See also
- Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission
- Bangladesh Power Development Board
- List of power stations in Bangladesh
- Power Grid Company of Bangladesh
References
- ^ "Present Installed Generation Capacity (MW) as on 30 June, 2018". bpdb.gov.bd. Bangladesh Power Development Board. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
- ^ "Key Statistics". Bangladesh Power Development Board. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
- ^ "In pictures: Celebrating 20,000MW of power". Dhaka Tribune. 8 September 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
- ^ a b Rashid and Sajjad (20 August 2018). "Powering the nation". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
- ^ "Govt plans to sign energy pact with Bangladesh". The Himalayan Times. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
- ^ "Nasrul: Lack in electricity management caused blackout". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
- ^ a b "Nationwide blackout in Bangladesh ends". Los Angeles Times. 2 November 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
- ^ Paul, Ruma; Varadhan, Sudarshan (4 October 2022). "Bangladesh plunged into darkness by national grid failure". Reuters.
- ^ "Bangladesh Plans Staggered Factory Holidays to Ease Power Crunch". Bloomberg. 8 August 2022.
- ^ Sunny 2011, p. 136
- ^ Randeep Ramesh, "Six killed in protests over UK mining firm in Bangladesh", The Guardian, 29 August 2006, accessed 25 March 2013
- ^ "WikiLeaks cables: US pushed for reopening of Bangladesh coal mine", The Guardian, 21 December 2010
- ^ "Massive protest in London" Archived 24 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine, BanglaNews24, 10 December 2010, accessed 25 March 2013
- ^ a b Rahman and Sarker (2 February 2018). "Nuclear power: Surviving on secrecy and misinformation". The Daily Star. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
- ^ Imam, Badrul (11 April 2018). "Why is solar power development so slow in Bangladesh?". The Daily Star. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
- ^ "Largest Solar Power Plant starts operation in Teknaf". Energy Bangla. 30 October 2018.
- ^ Md. A. Akbar, “An assessment of the geothermal potential of Bangladesh”, United Nations University, Geothermal Training Programme, Orkustofnun, Grensasvegur 9, IS-108 Reykjavik, Iceland, Reports 2011, Number 5.
- ^ Guha, D. K.; Henkel, H.; Imam, B. (April 2010). "Geothermal potential in Bangladesh - results from investigations of abandoned deep wells" (PDF). Proceedings of the World Geothermal Congress 2010. Bali, Indonesia.
- ^ Rahman, M. (2006). "Geothermal potential resources in Thakurgaon district, northern Bangladesh". Bangladesh Journal of Geology. 25: 13–30.
- ^ "Power and Energy". Bangladesh Economic Review 2023 (PDF). Ministry of Finance. June 2023.
- ^ Faisal Mahmud (20 August 2011). "Experts for microgrids to ease power woes". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 April 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
- ISBN 978-3-8465-9333-2.
- Islam, 2003 M. Islam, Energy efficiency potentials in the power sector of Bangladesh. 2003 Renewable Energy Information Network (REIN), Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Bangladesh (2003).
- Alam et al., 2004 M.S. Alam, E. Kabir, M.M. Rahman and M.A.K. Chowdhury, Power sector reform in Bangladesh: electricity distribution system, Energy 29 (2004), pp. 1773–1783