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Power goals need $6b investment
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country would need USS 6 billion investment in generating around 3,000 MW new power and set up new transmission and distribution line.
This required investment is in addition to that for the existing on-going power projects totalling 3547 MW capacity.
On the question of whether the government's plan was too ambitious, Dr Towfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury referring to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's election manifesto promises on power said, "Visionaries don’t work on numbers--they present visions... billions of dollars is not a problem if you improve the system."
On delaying the finalisation of coal policy, he said, “It is now under intense in-house study. But one thing I can surely say-that is, we are not going to let our resources lie idle. We are going to utilise it for the improvement of the lives of our people."
Dr Chowdhury added that the people of North Bengal (where almost all the coal deposits have been found) will have the first say about tapping coal. They will deal with resettlement, green city, mining city, training for mining and a host of new opportunities that will benefit them on priority basis.
A World Bank representa-
tive told the discussion that the bank would assist the government in doing feasibility study for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal to import gas containers by sea to combat on-goinggas crisis.
Presenting a paper on "New initiatives for power generation expansion”, Power Secretary Abul Kalam Azad said the government is expecting to have 752 MW new power by this December while power projects totalling 1350 MW capacity are being implemented with the goal to come into operation between 2011 and 2013. The government has committed for further plants with 1445 MW capacity to be implemented by 2014. These will total 3547 MW new power generation under the Awami League government.
But even with these, there will be a power supply shortfall of 1763 MW capacity in 2014. This could become worse as there is uncertainty with gas supplywhich might affect 1620 MW projects. Therefore, the load shedding could shoot as high as 3000 MW unless the government takes a drastic plan for the improvement of the sector.
Following a vision of 'zero load shedding by 2010', the government is taking immediate measures to install up to 1500 MW rental power projects
that can be implemented between six months and 12 months time. As part of it, the PDB has already floated tender for 10 rental plants totalling 530 MW capacity for five years term.
The government is going to take up short-term projects that can be implemented within 18 to 24 months with 800 MW capacity. These will serve as peaking' plants to cater the need when daily demand reaches its peak hours.
As a medium term measure, the government will implement four 500 MW coal fired plantswhich will be cheaper, take four to five years to implement and serve as base power plants. The coal plants wall be installed in Meghnaghat, Zajira, Khulna and Chittagong, it has been primarily decided . A detailed feasibility study for the sites will help the government take die final decision.
The government will use supercritical pressure technology for plants to ensure least emission of greenhouse gases while the financing will be done on private-public partnership basis. The coal plants will need 3 billion dollar investment.
Besides the government plans to add 450 MW power by 2015 using renewable energy technology like wind and solar. "This time we will make it
happen,” die secretary said.
Presently, the government is negotiating with India for import of power from Iripura’s 740 MW gas power plant. It will also be possible to import 250 MW to 500 MW power from Bahrampur of West Bengal. Besides, the government will tap the possibilities to import hydro power from Assam and Bhutan.
As there is an onslaught of gas crisis, the government is considering imported or indigenous coal as near term option as fuel for base load power plants; oilwhich is cosdyfor peaking power projects and nuclear for future base load plants.
Besides, the government is also taking measures to reduce the demand by shifting peak load by changing shop closure time (which saves 350 MW demand); staggering holiday (saves 150 MW demand); replacing incandescent lamp by energy saver lights (saves 200 MW demand by June 2010), introduction of Day Light Savings; steps to reduce air conditioning load and energy efficiency improvement programme by enhancing'energy auditing'.
Eight crore people do not have access to power, while the rest six crore do not get reliable power due to a peak load shedding of 1500 MW duringsummer.