Tk 682cr project to upgrade network

The Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources has drafted a project to upgrade the existing 33/11 KVA Wooden Pole Mounted Sub-Station under Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply to all upazilas.

The project comes to meet the rising demand of electricity followed by a gradual increase in both industries and business establishments in upazilas areas.

The ministry has sent a Development Project Proposal (DPP) titled – Renovation and Modernization of existing 33/11 KVA Wooden Pole Mounted Sub-Station in BREB (Phase-1) – to the Planning Commission for placing it before the Executive Committee of The National Economic Council (ECNEC), a senior official of the Planning Commission told The Business Post.

“The project has been taken to modernise the existing oldest and senile substations of BREB in the country. BREB will implement the project from January 01, 2022 to December 31, 2025,” he added.

According to the project proposal, 2,760km long power lines will be renovated and 23 wooden pole mounted substations will be converted into modern indoor type sub stations to bring all rural areas under the network.

The total cost of the project is estimated at Tk 682.54 crore. Of the total sum, Tk 477.40 crore will be provided by German development partner KFW, Tk 199.68 crore from the government, and BREB will provide Tk 5.49 crore.

Talking to The Business Post, Industry and Energy Division Member Sharifa Khan said, “We have discussed the project proposal at project evaluation committee (PEC) meeting and decided to go for the ECNEC approval.”

“Once the project is implemented, uninterrupted electricity supply will be ensured in rural areas of the country, which is now facing a shortage in electricity supply,” she said, adding that project will play vital role to provide safe electricity through upgradation of the sub stations.

The PEC also recommended adding the report of feasibility study in the DPP and mentioned category of project as per the Environment Conservation Act 1995.

It also recommended implementation of the project as per the conditions of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report and add EIA report to the DPP.