WSHPDR_2013_Final_Report-updated_version

3.3.2 Bangladesh
Md. Abdul Wazed, Chittagong University of
Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh
Key facts
Population 161,083,804 1
Area 147,570 km 2
Climate Tropical; mild winter (October to
March); hot, humid summer (March to
June); humid, warm rainy monsoon
(June to October) 1
Topography Mostly flat alluvial plain (80 %);
terraces (8 %) and hilly in southeast (12
%). 1
Rain
pattern
Average annual rainfall: 2,499 mm. 2 Dry
season: November to May. Rainy
(monsoon) season: June to October
Electricity sector overview
The electrification rate in the country was 41 per cent
in 2009 and population without electricity was about
95.7 million. 1
The installed capacity of power plants in Bangladesh
(end of 2011) was 6,693 MW. The breakdown per unit
type is shown in figure 1. The Kaptai hydropower
scheme on Karnafuli River, with a generating capacity
of 230 MW by five units, is the only hydropower plant
operated by Bangladesh Power Development Board
(BPDB).
Furnace oil
Hydropower
Coal
Heavy fuel oil
High-speed diesel
Gas turbines
2%
3%
4%
5%
10%
76%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Figure 1 Electricity generation in Bangladesh
Source: Bangladesh Power Development Board 3
Small hydropower sector overview and potential
The first micro hydropower unit of 10 kW has been
installed in a village of Bandarban through private
initiatives. The project is providing electricity to 140
families in the village and to a Buddhist temple. A
relatively small potential of mini hydropower
generation can be found in the hill tracts area of
Bangladesh.
Several studies on the feasibility of hydropower in
Bangladesh have been released over the past
decades, revealing that most of the potential sites are
micro- and pico-scale.
Several initiatives had been launched by the engineers
of the BPDB and the Bangladesh Water Development
Board (BWDB) in association with foreign experts to
investigate the potential for mini or micro
hydropower utilization in Bangladesh. 3 They identified
12 potential sites for the development of mini
hydropower plant in 1984. Out of these 12 sites, only
the Mahamaya Chara was taken up for development
of an integrated project for flood control, irrigation
and power generation and accordingly, a working
group was formed by the engineers of BPDB to carry
out groundwork of the project. The project has not
been commissioned yet. 3
In 1992, under the Flood Action Plan (FAP), Northeast
Regional Water Management Project (FAP-6)
conducted a preliminary assessment of selected rivers
in the Northeast Region. The investigation on the
most promising rivers and sites shows their suitability
for development of run-of-river low head schemes.
Based on mean monthly discharges and an assumed
five metres head, the hydro potential of the 10 major
and medium perennial rivers (with sufficient flow for
power generation throughout the year) of the
Northeast Region is estimated at 161 MW, with an
annual energy production of about 1,410 GWh.
SHP installed
capacity
SHP potential
0.010 MW
0.15 MW
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2
Figure 2 Small hydropower capacities in Bangladesh
Source: Local Government Engineering Department,
Institute of Fuel Research Development
There are rivers carrying high discharges during the
monsoon season and very low discharges during the
dry season. They have relatively high longitudinal
slope across alluvial fans close to the Indian border.
Most of the rivers have low flows in the winter
months and sometimes they dry out completely. Nine
rivers were identified in a study. The potential of
these rivers is estimated at 35 MW with an annual
energy production at 307 GWh, however the
estimated plant capacities are not available
Some other potential sites identified by researchers
would be economically viable if projects combine
small hydropower with measures such as flood
control, irrigation and tourism. For example, there are
at least 19 potential sites of hydropower generation in
the Teesta barrage project, the largest irrigation
project of the country having 10 sites with more than
two-metre head. The constructions of these
regulating structures have been completed and most
of them are in operation. These sites can be
investigated for development of small hydropower
projects.
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