Govt plans 16,000MW power this year

The government has a target to generate 16,000 megawatt (MW) of electricity in 2016, 24,000MW in 2021, 40,000MW in 2031 and 60,000MW in 2041, as the country has undertaken various power related projects in the country.

“We have taken a challenge to supply uninterrupted electricity to consumers across the country at affordable price by 2021,” Director General of Power Cell Mohammad Hossain told the news agency yesterday.

He said the government has chalked out plan to reach electricity to every house and increase the production capacity to 24,000MW by 2021 and 60,000MW by 2041.

Hossain said the present government was firm to materialise the dreams of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to build “Sonar Bangla”, adding, “Bangladesh will be a middle income country by 2021 and a developed one by 2041 with the united efforts of all.”

“The nation is recovering from chronic energy crisis as the government has already brought 80 percent people under electricity coverage,” he said.

According to an official, the Awami League-led government achieved successes in the power sector and the power generation capacity reached 14,077MW.

He said the country adopted strategy for renewable energy. Solar system has already made a positive impact throughout the country.

The government planned to generate 2,000MW power from solar-based facilities by 2021 and 10 percent demand would be met from renewable energy by 2021, the official added.

Meanwhile, the government approved a policy aimed at ensuring 10 percent renewable energy supply to the national power grid by the year 2021.

The government launched short, medium and long-term programmes to increase power supply and some 44 lakh solar home systems (SHSs) were installed to ensure supply of power to two crore rural people.

He said the present government extended the electricity distribution lines to 41,148 kilometres during the last two years.