Setting up of rental and quick rental power plants to make up the huge power deficit was necessary, but continuing with the plants cannot be appreciated because it is increasing the generation cost. It is possible to reduce the cost in the long run with appropriate planning and its proper and transparent implementation.
Prof Abdul Hasib Chowdhury, Director of the Institute of Nuclear Power Engineering at BUET, made the observation in an exclusive interview with Energy & Power Editor Mollah Amzad Hossain.
How do you evaluate the present state of the country’s power sector?
The generation phase of the four-phase power value chain from generation to consumption has achieved a notable success. The installed capacity crossed 20,000MW, but there is hardly any information about the real generation capacity. Generator reliability data is not available to us. In our generation system, 38 percent of the capacity is based on reciprocal engines which could be found nowhere in the world. It is also creating lower inertia in the grid. It was one of the factors of the grid blackout that took place in the country in 2014.
The capacity of the transmission system can be termed moderate with evacuation problems at some points and, very low capacity utilization at some other points. The generation dispatch system is not yet fully automated. So, the system needs to be controlled through making phone calls. There are also weaknesses in load balancing and controlling of frequency. The development of the transmission system is not well-planned.
The distribution sector development is demand-driven and it always faces challenges in supplying electricity. However, the distribution companies, including Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB), have made good progress.
The biggest problem of the power sector is inadequate average demand, which however rises to around 13,000MW occasionally. On the other hand, the demand falls sharply to 3,500-4,000MW in case of the incidents of severe storms and rainfall. The power sector in the industrially developed countries witnesses peak load in the daytime, but here in Bangladesh it is witnessed in the evening due to higher demand in the domestic consumption than that of the industrial consumption. It is another big problem that the industrial consumers are not willing to use the grid power.
The generation cost increased due to rising import of fuel oil for power generation in the last one decade. What should we do to reduce the generation cost in the long term?
It’s not true that the generation cost increased only due to imports, the situation has been created also due to lack of coordinated planning and farsightedness. For example, it was necessary that the power crisis could be faced well through setting up of the rental and quick rental power plants. But now, it cannot be appreciated continuing with the plants anymore. On the other hand, it is in no way can be accepted that required fuel cannot be supplied to the power plants which are already set up, and keeping the baseload plants idle due to lack of evacuation facilities. It proves lack of proper planning and weak management. Through ensuring proper planning, transparent implementation, strong management and improving generation efficiency, the cost can be reduced.
Uninterrupted supply of quality power could not be ensured yet due to inefficient transmission and distribution systems as compared to generation. How do you evaluate the deficiency?
The policy decision at the national level should reflect the demand forecast by the field level, and it should be reflected in the Power System Master Plan (PSMP). Questions are being raised about the accuracy of the demand forecast. And, this plan is being formulated by the foreign experts since adopting the first such plan. The government should ensure participation of local professionals, academics, economists and planners while formulating the next PSMP, which is urgent for a balanced development of the sector. In all, proper implementation of a good plan should be ensured. Partial implementation or implementation of projects not envisaged in the PSMP would rather create problems, which are already evident in the country’s power sector.
The nuclear power plant is expected to start generation in 2024. Do you think the transmission system can be made dependable by then?
It would act as a baseload power plant. The system frequency should be maintained within the frequency limit that would not fluctuate beyond plus-minus 0.5 Hz. It is being examined now, but the preparation is not yet that good. There are certain vulnerable points in the grid. Grid reliability and vulnerability studies needs to be carried out and plan should be made to enhance reliability and to eliminate its weaknesses.
Bangladesh could not yet adopt EV policy which is a demand of time. What reform should be brought in the distribution system in this regard?
There are presumably around 15 lakh easy bikes presently running in the country, but those cannot be termed as electric vehicles (EVs). Walton has also taken an initiative to produce such vehicles. There should be an assessment on how much of these vehicles are needed and what types of vehicles would be replaced by these ones. Proper forecasting about power demand for the transportation sector is necessary. It would be appropriate for the power sector to start taking preparation for finalizing plan in this regard by next 1-2 years.
What measures should be taken to expedite contribution of renewable energy to power generation?
In Bangladesh, renewable energy is mainly solar dependent while wind has not been explored well. Solar PV system is being installed recently in the rooftops of industrial and commercial buildings with the introduction of the net metering policy. If the trend continues, the investors will get return on investment and that would create a positive impact. It would also encourage others to invest here. Availability of land is the main problem for installation of the utility scale solar power plants in Bangladesh. Many investors could not arrange necessary land despite signing agreement to set up solar power plants. Agriculture land cannot be used for solar power generation. The government should identify suitable land for renewable energy (RE) projects through zoning of land. The PGCB then can plan transmission infrastructure more suitably for such projects. This will help expedite the RE power generation program.
Many countries in the world are considering storage as the main tool to increase the use of renewable energy. What Bangladesh should do about the storage and what technology Bangladesh should adopt?
Storage is not yet urgent for Bangladesh because the contribution of solar power to the national grid is very limited as of now. It would rather increase the cost of solar power. However, we should start piloting the storage system to achieve technical capabilities, efficiency and experience. This will also help us to prepare energy storage related policies and regulations.
What should be done to encourage and connect the industrial sector with the national grid and make the power sector commercially successful?
The key word is reliability. There is no alternative to ensure uninterrupted supply of quality power to bring industries into the grid. Some industries in the country are now drawing power from the 230kV and 132kV transmission grids for higher grid reliability while others are depending on captive generation. Power distribution utilities will have to invest more in the industrial zones to improve their service reliability. Industries will then gain confidence on the availability of electricity and gradually start using it.
Bangladesh still lack required industry-academia linkage which is essential to develop skilled human resources. What should be done to develop the linkage?
There is no lack of capabilities and willingness in research and innovation activities in BUET and other universities, but there is lack of initiatives from the industries as they do not approach with their requirement and necessary funding. To do these jobs in a more coordinated manner, BUET has set up a Research and Innovation Center for Science and Engineering. It may be mentioned here that the BUET worked with the DESCO on developing pre-paid smart energy meters during the period from 2004-2011. The initiative helped develop the advanced technology-based meters and manufacture it commercially.
How do you evaluate the government’s present policy in developing the power sector? Do you have any suggestion to include in the policy?
The policy should be adopted in a manner that would help increase the power demand. At present, the country’s per capita power consumption is only 550 kWh, which should be increased by five times if we want to take it to the level of Thailand. We are constrained by limited land and we should be cautious about using land for managing increased quantity of electricity. The transmission and distribution systems should be upgraded to higher voltages. The grid should be interconnected with Nepal, Bhutan in addition to India. We should also consider grid interconnection with the ASEAN countries and China through Myanmar. It would help strengthen the non-carbonized portfolio through importing the renewable energy. It would also contribute a lot to reduce the import dependence on primary fuel and enhance energy security.
