The Progress of Bangladesh in Power Sector

A joint venture of Beximco Power Company Ltd, Teesta Solar Limited (TSL) and China’s TBEA Xinjiang Sunoasis Co Ltd has signed an agreement of power purchase with Power Development Board (PDB) to establish a solar power plant with 200 MW (AC) capacity in Gaibandha.

In the presence of Beximco Group’s Vice-Chairman, Salman F Rahman, the Power Division Secretary, Dr Ahmed Kaikaus said, “We have targeted to generate at least 10% power from renewable sources by the year 2020, majority of which will come from solar panels.” While 20% share of the JV belongs to the Chinese, the remaining 80% will be held by Beximco Power.

TSL Managing Director M Rafiqul Islam added, “A project of this size will create hundreds of employments,” as it is expected to improve the socio-economic condition along with changes in communication infrastructure.

In an attempt to fulfill their dream of becoming a self-sufficient nation, Bangladesh has made consistent strides of progress in the Power and Energy sector. As the demand for energy rose in Bangladesh, particularly in the electricity sector, Salman F Rahman and Beximco Group decided to play a pivotal role in balancing the supply curve accordingly.

Better economic growth and sustainable development can be achieved with the adequate use of autogas. Realizing the potential in Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as a suitable alternative for multiple avenues, Bangladesh government has approved Beximco Petroleum Ltd to construct 25 workshops and 500 LPG filling stations.

A 5,000-ton reserve tank will be built by Beximco Group in alignment with polices like LP Gas Operational Licensing 2017, LPG Bottling Plant 2016, etc. This would ensure the safety of public along with safe transportation of the gas.

According to a recent Power Sector Master plan, Bangladesh has the current capacity of generating over 16,000 MW power. In a bid to achieve a 50% increase in this number in the next 5 years, multiple companies have placed proposals for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plants including Beximco, which proposed a 460 MW plant. Since LNG can act as a reliable alternative source of fuel, the import costs would decrease along with a rise in the security sector of Bangladesh.

With constant efforts by companies towards the power and energy verticals, Bangladesh is gradually progressing on the path of absolute socio-economic stability.