Staff Correspondent
The Awami League-led alliance government is banking on the costly rental power plants and small independent power plants, which were approved by the interim government but yet to come into operation, to overcome the power crisis this summer.
‘The caretaker government took steps to generate around 1100MW additional electricity. As per that plan, around 322MW electricity was added by December 2008. We are expecting around 730MW of additional electricity by June,’ newly appointed power secretary, Nasiruddin Ahmed told reporters on Monday.
Nasir said that they were expecting additional 157.5MW electricity in January, 131MW in February, 287MW in March, 105MW in May and 50MW electricity in June from a number of short and long-term power plants, small IPPs and one public sector power plant.
The interim government earlier said it would add around 1100MW by December 2008 but had failed as the errant power companies, selected by it, could not complete installation of a number of power plants in time.
Four short term rental plants — Bogra 20MW, Fenchuganj 50MW, Ashuganj 50MW and Bhola 30MW — were supposed to come into operation between May and November 2008 but the private companies failed to install the plants so far. Three other plants came into operation.
Similarly, other companies failed to install three long-term rental power plants—Shahjibazar 80MW, Kumargaon 10MW, Fenchuganj 50MW— in time.
The sponsors for eight other small IPPs —Ullapara 10MW, Hobiganj 10MW, Feni 20MW, Maona 30MW, Mohipal10MW, Barabkunda 20MW, Rupganj 30MW and Jangalia 30MW— also failed to install the plants in time.
The new deadline given by Nasiruddin was basically formulated by the former power secretary M Fouzul Kabir Khan during the regime of the interim government.
Nasiruddin said that they would do everything possible to bring the power plants into operation by June.
‘We will form teams to launch special vigilance so that the power pants come into operation quickly,’ he said.
He said that they would ensure smooth supply of power for irrigation this Boro season. ‘The demand for electricity during the Boro season will be seven per cent higher this season while our electricity production will be 15 per cent higher,’ he claimed.
He said that the present government had taken short-term, medium-term and long-term plans to overcome the power crisis.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
