Master plan to generate 35,000mw of electricity by 2030 on cards
Thursday, 8 July 2010
M Azizur Rahman
The government is formulating a comprehensive power system master plan (PSMP) to generate around 35,000 megawatts (mw) of electricity by 2030 targeting to have a 20 per cent surplus over the cumulative demands, top officials said Tuesday.
Coal and nuclear energy would be the main sources of generating electricity from the future power generation projects replacing the current natural gas as the reserve of the gas is depleting fast, a senior power ministry official told the FE.
He said over 60 per cent of total electricity generation or 21,000 mw of electricity would be generated by coal and nuclear energy and the remaining by liquid fuel and either natural gas or liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Construction of necessary electricity transmission lines for smooth supply of grid connectivity is being incorporated with the plan.
Cross-border electricity transmission especially with neighbouring India and Myanmar would also be the key feature of the new PSMP.
The power ministry has already initiated works to formulate the PSMP, replacing the existing one, to boost electricity generation by nine times from the current generation of around 4,000 mw.
"We are working to finalise the master plan," said Prime Minister's Energy Adviser Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury.
It would come up by this year-end, he hoped.
At present the power ministry has a PSMP up to 2025.
"Country's changing energy scenario and a rapid rise in electricity demand has prompted the government to draft a new PSMP," a senior Power Development Board (PDB) official said.
PDB estimates that 15,000 mw of electricity will have to be generated from coal and 6,000 mw by nuclear energy by 2030.
At present coal accounts for around 150 mw or four per cent of the country's overall electricity generation as coal extraction is limited to a nominal production from underground Barapukuria coalmine.
But the country has huge potentials to generate electricity from coal if its gigantic coal reserves of over 3.0 billion tonnes, now lying in five coalmines, are exploited, said officials.
Around 87 per cent of the country's total electricity generation now comes from natural gas, five per cent from liquid fuel, and three per cent from hydro power.
The government has targeted to generate around 10,000 mw of additional electricity by 2015, which include installation of seven combined cycle power plants having an aggregated generation capacity of 1,650 mw, eight peaking power plants having 700 mw generation capacity, 2,600 mw capacity imported coal-based steam plant and renewable energy-based power plant to generate 109 mw.
It has also approved installation of over a dozen liquid fuel-run power plants as 'quick-rental' plants to ease the nagging electricity crisis in immediate term.
Until May 2010, around 571 mw of new electricity generation has been added to the national grid since taking office of the incumbent government in January 2008.
Power ministry has estimated that around US$ 13 billion would be required to bring the planned electricity plants within 2015 on stream.
Some $ 4.0 billion would be required for public sector and $ 9.0 billion for private sector power plants.
Estimated debt financing of $ 7.0 billion would be required to implement the projects by 2015.
The government is formulating a comprehensive power system master plan (PSMP) to generate around 35,000 megawatts (mw) of electricity by 2030 targeting to have a 20 per cent surplus over the cumulative demands, top officials said Tuesday.
Coal and nuclear energy would be the main sources of generating electricity from the future power generation projects replacing the current natural gas as the reserve of the gas is depleting fast, a senior power ministry official told the FE.
He said over 60 per cent of total electricity generation or 21,000 mw of electricity would be generated by coal and nuclear energy and the remaining by liquid fuel and either natural gas or liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Construction of necessary electricity transmission lines for smooth supply of grid connectivity is being incorporated with the plan.
Cross-border electricity transmission especially with neighbouring India and Myanmar would also be the key feature of the new PSMP.
The power ministry has already initiated works to formulate the PSMP, replacing the existing one, to boost electricity generation by nine times from the current generation of around 4,000 mw.
"We are working to finalise the master plan," said Prime Minister's Energy Adviser Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury.
It would come up by this year-end, he hoped.
At present the power ministry has a PSMP up to 2025.
"Country's changing energy scenario and a rapid rise in electricity demand has prompted the government to draft a new PSMP," a senior Power Development Board (PDB) official said.
PDB estimates that 15,000 mw of electricity will have to be generated from coal and 6,000 mw by nuclear energy by 2030.
At present coal accounts for around 150 mw or four per cent of the country's overall electricity generation as coal extraction is limited to a nominal production from underground Barapukuria coalmine.
But the country has huge potentials to generate electricity from coal if its gigantic coal reserves of over 3.0 billion tonnes, now lying in five coalmines, are exploited, said officials.
Around 87 per cent of the country's total electricity generation now comes from natural gas, five per cent from liquid fuel, and three per cent from hydro power.
The government has targeted to generate around 10,000 mw of additional electricity by 2015, which include installation of seven combined cycle power plants having an aggregated generation capacity of 1,650 mw, eight peaking power plants having 700 mw generation capacity, 2,600 mw capacity imported coal-based steam plant and renewable energy-based power plant to generate 109 mw.
It has also approved installation of over a dozen liquid fuel-run power plants as 'quick-rental' plants to ease the nagging electricity crisis in immediate term.
Until May 2010, around 571 mw of new electricity generation has been added to the national grid since taking office of the incumbent government in January 2008.
Power ministry has estimated that around US$ 13 billion would be required to bring the planned electricity plants within 2015 on stream.
Some $ 4.0 billion would be required for public sector and $ 9.0 billion for private sector power plants.
Estimated debt financing of $ 7.0 billion would be required to implement the projects by 2015.