Aiming to ensure cent per cent electricity by 2021, the government signed contracts with private and public sponsors to set up 130 power plants having a total generation capacity of 23,861 megawatt (MW).
"Of the contracts, 67 power plants having generation capacity of 7,800 MW have already been commissioned while 63 power plants with 15,967 MW are under construction," Chairman of Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) Engineering Khaled Mahmood said on Wednesday, reports BSS.
He said the government has installed 88 power plants with a generation capacity of 8,819 MW and has been importing 660 MW electricity since 2009 from neighbouring India.
"The BPDB has taken a massive capacity expansion plan to add about 11,600 MW in next five years to achieve 24,000 MW (power generation) target by 2021 with the aim to provide quality and reliable electricity to all the people of the country for desired economic and social development," Khaled said.
He said the government has been working to complete all the power plants within the stipulated time as part of "Sheikh Hasina's 10 Initiatives: Electricity to All by 2021."
Currently, the electricity generation capacity reached 16,046 MW and 90 per cent people are brought under the power coverage, the BPDB chairman added.
According to a BPDB official, the government added 9,479 MW electricity to the national grid with its sincere and relentless efforts till March 2018 from 2009.
Some 32 power plants having 4,606 MW generation capacity have been set up in public sector, while 56 in the private sector with 4,213 MW.
Of the total electricity generation, 5,146 MW power comes from natural gas sources, 3,670 MW from liquid fuel and 3 MW from solar energy, he said.
The official said the government has a plan to ensure electricity for all by 2021 through an integrated development of power generation, transmission and distribution system.
