Power generation peaks again

Power plants in Bangladesh have yet again broken generation records.

Only a day earlier, the country attained a record power output of 7,371 megawatts for the National Grid.

Power Development Board (PDB) spokesperson Saiful Alam Chowdhury said 7,403 MW electricity was fed into the grid around 9pm on Wednesday against a total demand of 7,403 MW.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Press Secretary AKM Shamim Chowdhury told bdnews24.com that it was the highest ever level attained in the nation’s history.

The previous high of 7,356 MW power was generated on Mar 30.

However, the total amount of power added to the National Grid on Tuesday included 500 MW imported from India.

Before power import from India had begun, the highest amount of electricity fed into the grid was 6,675 MW in July last year.

After the Awami League-led Grand Alliance took office in 2009, it stresses new power generation capacity.

Fifty-eight power plants were set up between 2009 and 2013 with a total generation capacity of 4,483 MW.

Another 31 power plants, having a 6,000 MW generation capacity, are being built.

The government is also planning to build 25 more plants with a capacity to generate at least 6,100 MW.

Though an agreement had been signed to import 500 MW power from India from November last year, the current import is a little less.

The Awami League, which plans to turn Bangladesh into developed country by 2041, has decided to increase the power generation capacity to 34,000 megawatts by 2030 under a master plan.

Currently, Bangladesh's total power generation capacity is 10,289 MW, including imports.