Annual Report for 2008-2009 - BPDB

Message
Ensuring adequate, reliable and quality power is a major challenge for BPDB. In
the situation of inadequate generation addition in the last few years with
shortage of gas supply, BPDB is passing critical time to meet the electricity
demand, which is increasing fast matching the growth rate of the economy.
Customer satisfaction with reliable power supply and improved service quality is
another major challenge for BPDB.
During the FY 2008-09 progress has been made in different areas of BPDB
specially generation and distribution. Maximum generation 4162 MW was
achieved during this period. Revenue collection has been increased and system
loss has been reduced as compared to the previous years. BPDB's system loss
during 2008-2009 was reduced to 6.58 % of net generation from 6.92 % of
previous year. The loss in BPDB's own distribution was also reduced to 13.57 %
in FY 2009 from 14.43 % in FY 2008. The revenue collection during FY 2009 was
Tk. 58,992 million which was 9 % higher than that of previous year.
During FY 2009, new generation addition, mostly from small IPP's and rental
power plants of total capacity 414 MW was synchronised to the national grid. Net
energy generation of BPDB was 25,622 GWh, which was 5.39% higher than the
previous year. In the constraint of gas supply this growth was satisfactory but
consumers suffered a lot as demand growth of energy was much higher.
Access to electricity was 47% in FY 2009. Only 2% increase was not satisfactory to
materialize the government vision of 100% access by 2021. To face this challenge
at the end of the FY 2009 government has changed its planning perspective and
BPDB has started to revise the generation expansion plan.
The new initiative to the generation expansion plan considered liquid fuel (HFO/
Diesel) based peaking plant in the short term to reduce pressure on natural gas.
For medium and long term generation expansion plan, coal based large steam
power plants and natural gas/dual fuel based combined cycle plants will be the
option. The least cost option is 2000-2600 MW imported coal based power plants
in costal areas.
Measures of power generation through renewable energy like solar, wind etc. are
also going on. Nuclear energy can also be included as alternative source of
energy in future. Steps have also been taken for power exchange through
regional co-operation among the neighboring countries to provide reliable
electricity.
To make the power sector effective BPDB has also been continuously pursuing
the reform programme for the last few years. During the period under report
expansion of Computerized Billing, Renewable Energy Development, Bill-pay
through Mobile Phone, Energy Efficiency Measures and need based training etc.
were also continued.
Government's commitments to remove all barrier for implementation of new
generation addition plan and BPDB's consolidated efforts will ensure no load
shedding and thereby ensure sustained social and economic development of
Bangladesh.
A.S.M. Alamgir Kabir
Chairman
Bangladesh Power Development Board
03 Annual Report 2008-09