The $600 million Rural Electricity Transmission and Distribution project aims at ensuring reliable electricity supply to rural areas, with increasing power generation capacity, reducing system loss and improving and expanding distribution network.
The project, approved by the World Bank (WB) Board in February 2014, will also support substations as well as upgrading existing lines in the rural areas of Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions, a WB press release said, reports BSS.
The project has already identified the locations for the 33/11KV substations and started to purchase the land for the substations. Preparation of technical specifications for procurement of these sub-stations is underway. The purchase of line materials is also in progress.
It will also enhance the distribution network capacity to make the lines ready for carrying additional electricity when power generation increases in the country.
"Over the years, the government has taken steps to reduce system loss and increase power generation capacity. Consequently, electricity sales in the rural grid system operated by the Palli Biddyut Samities (PBSs) grew by about 11.7 per cent annually over the last decade", the WB said.
But, it said that the rural distribution and transmission system have not kept pace with the rapid load and grid expansion. As a result, the rural electricity system became over-loaded and experiences frequent load-shedding, leading to higher technical losses and frequent service interruptions.
WB supports $600m project to ensure rural power supply
FE Team | Published: April 06, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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