The state-run Rural Electrification Board is set to start the implementation of a Tk 5,011 crore five-year project to upgrade and enhance its rural distribution network In january, officials said.
The mega project was taken to boost the power distribution capacity of REB’s 37 Palli Bidyut Samitis in the wake of overloading of nearly 1.18 lakh out of its 6.49 lakh transformers due to extending power connections in excess of capacity, an REB official told New Age.
He said that nearly eight per cent of REB’s 33kV power supply lines are also overloaded.
Overloading of the dilapidated distribution network has been causing frequent load shedding, prolonged unplanned power outages in the vast rural areas covered by REB besides increased system loss, he said.
In last five years, REB provided about 25 lakh new power connections without caring to boost the capacity of its distribution network, power division data accessed by New Age show.
In this stark backdrop REB was compelled to take project to upgrade and enhance its distribution capacity in the rural areas of Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions covered by 37 Palli Bidyut Samitis.
The project envisages laying 2,653 kilometres of fresh 33kV lines of different specifications, upgrading 863 kilometres of 33kV lines of different specifications, laying and rehabilitating 2,634 kilometres of 11kV lines and setting up of 110 news substations of 33kV and 11kV capacities.
Out of the estimated project cost of Tk 5,011.7 crore or $642.53 million, the government would provide Tk 1,306.7 crore and the rest would be borrowed from international lending agencies.
‘Up-gradation of Rural Distribution System’ is the title of the project taken by the country’s biggest power distribution utility.
Power division secretary on Sunday acknowledged the overloading problem facing the utility and said the problem arose as the issue of increasing generation could not be addressed effectively.
Courtesy of New Age
