Bangladesh power generation to exceed demand by 2016

• 11 years ago (2012-12-29)
• David Flin

Asia 892 North America 1021

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The Finance Minister of Bangladesh, A M A Muhith, said that he expected the country’s power generation capacity to exceed demand within the next four years. He said: “We want to turn the country into a middle-income one by 2021. We have to ensure sufficient supply of power and energy to achieve our target. I expect us to have surplus power generation by 2016.” He has been optimistic about future supplies of electricity while the country’s Power Division is being forced to impose rolling blackouts to deal with an acute supply crisis.

He was speaking at a function where the state-owned Power Development Board (PDB) signed a contract with a consortium of Japan’s Marubeni Corporation and South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering and Construction to implement the 400 MW Bibiyana III gas-fired combined cycle power project.

According to PDB, maximum power demand currently stands at 6500 MW, compared to a maximum generation capacity of 5000 MW. PDB said that the incumbent government has signed agreements to set up 60 new power plants with a total combined capacity of more than 8000 MW since it took office in 2009. Of the plants, three are rental-based, 17 quick rental, 19 IPP, and 21 state-owned.