With a vision to improve nationwide power grid frequency, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Power Division jointly organised a workshop at the Power Division on Monday.

Md Habibur Rahman, senior secretary of Power Division, Md Mahbubur Rahman, chairman of Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and Ichiguchi Tomohide, chief representative of JICA Bangladesh office, attended the workshop along with relevant officials from the government and development partners.

Following the grid failure and countrywide blackout incident on October 4, 2022, JICA conducted a study to prevent blackouts and improve grid stability.

In the report, the JICA study team shared their findings and recommended several short-term, mid-term, and long-term countermeasures to improve power quality.

The power grid of Bangladesh needs to be immediately prepared for more sophisticated power sources like the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, which is scheduled to evacuate about 2400 MW of power through the national grid in the coming years.

According to the Integrated Energy and Power Master Plan, a large number of grid- and household-level renewable energy sources are also expected, further adding to the complexity.

At the workshop, participants discussed these issues, their proposed solutions, as mentioned in the report, and their practical implications.

Upgradation of the National Load Dispatch Centre, capacity development of the officials, and several other mid- and long-term activities are also proposed in the report.

During the workshop, Ichiguchi Tomohide said, “Reliable and quality power is vital to attracting foreign and domestic investors to expand their businesses in Bangladesh.

“Hence, power stability is crucial for rapid industrialization and sustaining high economic growth for the country,” he said.