After a delay of more than two years, finally the Aminbazar-Gopalganj 400 KV power transmission line came into operation crossing the Padma River. “The line was commissioned successfully at 1:40 pm on December 15 (Thursday) from Gopalganj grid substation with 400 KV voltage”, the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) said in a Facebook post. However, PGCB managing director Golam Kibria said that although the line was commissioned, electricity flow will not be given through this line. "We've planned to flow electricity from next Saturday on test basis and then step by step it will be fully commissioned by gradually synchronising with all the systems”, he told UNB. Read more: If BERC delays decision on retail power hike proposals, govt to decide: Nasrul Hamid PGCB officials said that the full commissioning of the newly constructed line will facilitate electricity transmission from the two large power plants—1320 MW Payra and 1320 MW Rampal power plants—in the country’s southern region to Dhaka city. Of these, the Payra power plant having two units, each 620 MW capacity, set up in joint venture with Chinese company, have already been commissioned. The first unit (620 MW capacity) of Rampal power plant is also being built in joint venture with an Indian company and it is expected to be commercially commissioned in March next year. “If the electricity from these two plants can come to the capital city, it will play an important role to improve the power supply situation”, said a top official of the Power Division. Read more: Mitsubishi Power to continue support Bangladesh power industry amid growing energy need The government had undertaken the implementation of the Aminbazar-Gopalganj transmission line in 2016. But due to construction of the Padma Bridge, works of tower installation in Padma River remained suspended until completion of the bridge construction. As a result, the project experienced a huge delay to complete. The PGCB in the Facebook post mentioned that the newly constructed Aminbazar-Gopalganj 400 KV power transmission line has been successfully commissioned with charging power by the PGCB. The length of the line from Gopalganj to Aminbazar grid substation is 82.5 km. Of which there is a 7.5 km river crossing on Padma River. The Gopalganj to Aminbazar line has a total of 226 towers. A total of 11 tall towers have been constructed in the Padma River and also on both sides for facilitating the river crossing. As the line has been successfully charged at 400 KV voltage, soon after all technical preparations and evaluations, power transmission (load flow) will be started on this line. With the commissioning of the newly constructed line, the previously constructed Payra-Gopalganj 400 KV line and Gopalganj-Mongla 400 KV line have been connected to the Aminbazar grid substation on the outskirts of Dhaka. This has made the connection to the national grid stronger and more reliable with the greater Khulna and Barishal regions, the PGCB mentioned.

Steps will be taken to import clean energy from the neighbouring nations alongside the ongoing efforts to increase the share of renewable energy in the energy mix, said State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid. He revealed the plan while addressing a presentation session of the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) on the country’s power transmission plan at a city hotel on Saturday. Nasrul said new sources of renewable energies are coming up to boost the energy mix against the backdrop of global climate change. Held with power secretary Habibur Rahman in the chair, the function was also addressed by Planning Commission member Sharifa Khan. Additional secretary of the power division Nurul Alam conducted the event. Read: USAID launches new clean energy project in Bangladesh Director of Power Grid Company India Limited Abhay Chowdhury made a presentation on the topic.

The government is counting a monthly loss of Tk 130 crore due to delay in laying a high-priority transmission line that would take electricity from the Payra power plant to Dhaka across the River Padma. According to official sources, the amount is being paid as “capacity payment” to 1320 MW Payra power plant, a Bangladesh-China joint venture project, which is now ready to supply electricity to the national grid for distribution in Dhaka adjoining areas. In this case the capacity payment means the government’s commitment to purchase power generated at the plant at an agreed-upon rate. The government still has to pay the plant for its generation (capacity) even if it is unable to buy the electricity from it. The government is not ready to purchase electricity from the plant as it has failed to complete work on the 164.6 km 400 kV double-circuit transmission line that would supply power from Mongla to Dhaka’s Aminbazar via Maowa connected by the national grid. The project has hit some hurdles in crossing the mighty river, where a multipurpose bridge is being built to connect Dhaka with the country’s south-western region. The official document of Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB), the implementing agency, shows the project was scheduled to be implemented by December 2020. After repeated extensions, the schedule has now been set for December 2021.  Also read: Finally, Payra power plant ready to operate at full blast Officials, however, apprehend the project might not be completed even by the latest deadline due to a major constraint in the work on crossing Padma River. Nasrul Hamid, state minister for power, energy and mineral resources, acknowledged the loss government is incurring and the hurdles the project is facing. “We are trying to resolve the issue,” he told UNB adding “We have nothing else to do but to  wait.” Power Division officials blamed the excessive delay on Padma Bridge construction authority which was tasked to lay foundations for the construction of towers within the river area. Read Also: Payra power plant starts commercial operation of its first unit

The timely execution of a number power transmission projects taken for electricity evacuation from the upcoming 2,400 MW Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) looks uncertain as the Indian financing agency is taking ‘unusual’ time to give a go-ahead for the bidding process.

Uncertainty looms large over the timely execution of a slew of power transmission projects aimed at facilitating electricity evacuation from the upcoming 2,400 MW Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP). The reason — the Indian financing agency is taking "excessive time" to give a go-ahead for the bidding process, UNB has learnt.

Four more power grid substations are going to be set up at different locations in the country while capacity of four more substations will be enhanced.   According to Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB), the implementing agency of the projects, the new substations, each having 230/132 kV, will be installed in Feni, Birulia (Savar), Noagan and East Sadipur (Dinajpur).    The substations, whose capacity will be extended, are 400/230 kV Bhulta (Narayanganj), 230/132 kV Bogra, 230/132 kV Barapukuria and 132/33 kV Niamatpur (Noagan).    The PGCB on Monday signed a bilateral contract with China National Technical Import and Export Corporation (CNTIEC) to implement the projects in order to facilitate enhanced power supply at batter quality. 

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday cleared seven projects involving Tk 4,460 crore, including Tk 767 crore to upgrade Mongla Seaport.