Private-public partnership in power generation to get priority
Thursday, 25 October 2007
SM Jahangir
The government will explore the possibility of greater private-public partnership for raising the country's power generation on medium and long term basis with to reducing the dependency on the independent power producers (IPPs).
A high-profile advisory committee on Power Ministry at its meeting recommended Wednesday for forging partnership between the government and local entrepreneurs.
"We have decided to reduce the growing dependency on IPPs. Rather, a decision has been taken for setting up power generation units in the future under joint initiatives of the government and the private entrepreneurs," Power adviser Tapan Chowdhury said.
The committee, however, discussed the government's short, medium and long-term plans to cope with the growing demand for electricity in the country, Tapan, who is also the chairman of the 17-member advisery committee, told reporters after the meeting.
The meeting was informed that some 500 megawatt (MW) of electricity would be added to the national grid by next summer, a meeting source said.
About 300MW out of the projected additional output would be available from the rental power units while the remaining 200MW would be generated after overhauling and maintenance of some of the exiting power units.
The country's electricity demand will increase by 400MW during the next summer against the current demand for 4200MW, the meeting was told.
It was also disclosed at the meeting that the government had plans to add a total of 1093MW electricity to the national grid by December 2008.
The total demand for power would hit 5000MW by the end of next year, the meeting sources said.
Besides, agreements on new power unit installations, having generation capacity of 2800MW, will be finalised by December 2008. Some 1470MW of which will be undertaken by the government and the remaining by the private sector.
Under the private sector, agreements for installation of power units in Bibiyana, Sirajgonj and Meghnaghat - each having generation capacity of 450MW - are expected to take place within the said timeframe.
The meeting was also informed that about 60 per cent of the country's total population would come under the network of electricity supply by the end of 2010.
The committee observed that the government has already raised its budgetary allocation for the development of the country's power sector.
A sum of Tk 38 billion has been earmarked for the power sector in the current annual development programme (ADP) against Tk 32 billion in the last ADP, it noted.
The government will explore the possibility of greater private-public partnership for raising the country's power generation on medium and long term basis with to reducing the dependency on the independent power producers (IPPs).
A high-profile advisory committee on Power Ministry at its meeting recommended Wednesday for forging partnership between the government and local entrepreneurs.
"We have decided to reduce the growing dependency on IPPs. Rather, a decision has been taken for setting up power generation units in the future under joint initiatives of the government and the private entrepreneurs," Power adviser Tapan Chowdhury said.
The committee, however, discussed the government's short, medium and long-term plans to cope with the growing demand for electricity in the country, Tapan, who is also the chairman of the 17-member advisery committee, told reporters after the meeting.
The meeting was informed that some 500 megawatt (MW) of electricity would be added to the national grid by next summer, a meeting source said.
About 300MW out of the projected additional output would be available from the rental power units while the remaining 200MW would be generated after overhauling and maintenance of some of the exiting power units.
The country's electricity demand will increase by 400MW during the next summer against the current demand for 4200MW, the meeting was told.
It was also disclosed at the meeting that the government had plans to add a total of 1093MW electricity to the national grid by December 2008.
The total demand for power would hit 5000MW by the end of next year, the meeting sources said.
Besides, agreements on new power unit installations, having generation capacity of 2800MW, will be finalised by December 2008. Some 1470MW of which will be undertaken by the government and the remaining by the private sector.
Under the private sector, agreements for installation of power units in Bibiyana, Sirajgonj and Meghnaghat - each having generation capacity of 450MW - are expected to take place within the said timeframe.
The meeting was also informed that about 60 per cent of the country's total population would come under the network of electricity supply by the end of 2010.
The committee observed that the government has already raised its budgetary allocation for the development of the country's power sector.
A sum of Tk 38 billion has been earmarked for the power sector in the current annual development programme (ADP) against Tk 32 billion in the last ADP, it noted.