Tapan cautions on raising power output as dry season nears
Monday, 5 November 2007
FE Report
Energy and Power Adviser Tapan Chowdhury asked Sunday the country's state-owned power sector entities to take necessary steps to augment power generation in order to meet the growing demand in the forthcoming dry season.
"Power generation will have to be increased at any cost to meet the increased demand to run irrigation pumps," he observed and instructed the top power officials to make allout efforts to raise electricity generation.
The Energy and Power Adviser was speaking at a meeting held at the Secretariat to assess the overall situation in the country's power sector.
In the meeting Tapan Chowdhury was aggrieved with the poor progress in overhauling and rehabilitation of aged power plants.
"Action will be taken against the project directors of the power plants if the overhauling or rehabilitation of their respective power plants is not undertaken within the timeframe," he cautioned.
Rehabilitation of a number of power plant units including those of Haripur, Ashuganj and Khulna power plants is not being undertaken as per schedule, the meeting observed.
The power adviser also asked Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) to run both the units of the 250-megawatt (MW) Barapukuria power plant to meet the growing power demand in the country's northern region.
"If necessary, coal will have to be imported by the BPDB to run the Barapukuria coal-fired power plant," he stressed.
For smooth functioning of the Barapukuria coal-fired power plant, the concerned Chinese firm will be asked to take proper and necessary action, the meeting noted.
The energy and power adviser was also unhappy over non-fulfillment of the commitment of some private power generation companies relating to initiating electricity generation.
The contract with the Westmont would be scrapped if the company fails to initiate generating electricity to the tune of 40 MW by December next as per commitment, he warned.
A similar contract with the Chinese Harbin Power would also be scrapped if the company does not come forward to install its pledged 90 MW power plant at Fenchuganj in Sylhet within the given timeframe as per commitment, the meeting pointed out.
Tapan Chowdhury was also critical of the fall in electricity generation during the last several days-the power generation declined from 3,500 MW on October 28 to 3,300 MW on November 3 last.
Power Division Secretary Fouzul Kabir Khan and top officials of the BPDB, Dhaka Electric Supply Authority (DESA), Dhaka Electric Supply Company Ltd (DESCO), Power Cell, and the Power Division were, among others, present at the meeting.
Energy and Power Adviser Tapan Chowdhury asked Sunday the country's state-owned power sector entities to take necessary steps to augment power generation in order to meet the growing demand in the forthcoming dry season.
"Power generation will have to be increased at any cost to meet the increased demand to run irrigation pumps," he observed and instructed the top power officials to make allout efforts to raise electricity generation.
The Energy and Power Adviser was speaking at a meeting held at the Secretariat to assess the overall situation in the country's power sector.
In the meeting Tapan Chowdhury was aggrieved with the poor progress in overhauling and rehabilitation of aged power plants.
"Action will be taken against the project directors of the power plants if the overhauling or rehabilitation of their respective power plants is not undertaken within the timeframe," he cautioned.
Rehabilitation of a number of power plant units including those of Haripur, Ashuganj and Khulna power plants is not being undertaken as per schedule, the meeting observed.
The power adviser also asked Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) to run both the units of the 250-megawatt (MW) Barapukuria power plant to meet the growing power demand in the country's northern region.
"If necessary, coal will have to be imported by the BPDB to run the Barapukuria coal-fired power plant," he stressed.
For smooth functioning of the Barapukuria coal-fired power plant, the concerned Chinese firm will be asked to take proper and necessary action, the meeting noted.
The energy and power adviser was also unhappy over non-fulfillment of the commitment of some private power generation companies relating to initiating electricity generation.
The contract with the Westmont would be scrapped if the company fails to initiate generating electricity to the tune of 40 MW by December next as per commitment, he warned.
A similar contract with the Chinese Harbin Power would also be scrapped if the company does not come forward to install its pledged 90 MW power plant at Fenchuganj in Sylhet within the given timeframe as per commitment, the meeting pointed out.
Tapan Chowdhury was also critical of the fall in electricity generation during the last several days-the power generation declined from 3,500 MW on October 28 to 3,300 MW on November 3 last.
Power Division Secretary Fouzul Kabir Khan and top officials of the BPDB, Dhaka Electric Supply Authority (DESA), Dhaka Electric Supply Company Ltd (DESCO), Power Cell, and the Power Division were, among others, present at the meeting.