New Power Division project to improve supply on cards

The Power Division has taken a project to construct new grid lines and substations for expanding and strengthening transmission lines in order to supply uninterrupted electricity to the growing number of consumers in the capital.

A senior planning ministry official told The Business Post the Power Division had sent the project proposal titled “Expansion and Strengthening of Electrical Infrastructures in DESCO Area in Dhaka” to the Planning Commission for approval.

Dhaka Electric Supply Company’s (DESCO) substations and power lines are overloaded due to the growing demand for electricity among consumers.

The company said this was resulting in low voltage, system losses, and problems in supplying quality electricity to new consumers.

The project cost is estimated at Tk 2,357.11 crore. Of this, Tk 463.84 crore will come from the government exchequer, Tk 1,279.37 crore from the Asian Development Bank, and Tk 613.9 crore from DESCO’s fund.

DESCO will implement the project between January 2022 and December 2025.

Under the project, DESCO will install 50km and 100km underground transmission lines with 33KV and 11KV capacity respectively in the capital and the surrounding urban areas. It will set up eight new substations at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and other areas of the two city corporations in Dhaka.

DESCO Executive Director Md Mansurul Alam said they had already informed the city corporation authorities of the possible areas where the substations would be set up.

He said DESCO was yet to get permission to set up the substations.

Member of the Industry and Energy Division of the Planning Commission Sharifa Khan said they had held a project evaluation committee (PEC) meeting on the project. “We have recommended the Power Division conduct the feasibility study and send the revised development project proposal (RDPP) to the commission,” she said.