The government contemplates shutting down 94 costly and vulnerable oil-fired power plants by 2030 and replacing them with low-cost gas-fired and coal-fired power plants

Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has come up with the plan at a time when nearly half of the country’s electricity generation capacity stands idle that sparked criticism by the energy experts.
Now, the country’s grid electricity generation capacity stands at 20,813MW against the maximum requirement of 12,893MW.      

Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has placed the retirement plan of the 94 power plants before the Power Division, official sources said. Combined capacity of the plants is 7,342MW.

Despite the shutdown of the plants, the government has a plan to add 35,461MW electricity by 2030.

Of the 94 power plants, 17 costly rentals and quick rental power plants are also in the retirement list within 2021. The combined capacity of the power plants is 1,113MW.    

As per the plan, some 11 power plants having a combined capacity to generate 618MW of electricity will be shut down this year.

“We have already prepared a list of 94 power plants with a power generation capacity of 7,342MW of electricity. These plants will be replaced with more efficient power plants by 2030,” an official of the BPDB said.
The government is planning to take the country’s power generation capacity to 60,000MW from low coal-fired power plants by 2041, the official said. BPDB incurred a loss of Tk 80.17 billion last fiscal year due to costly power purchase. The power plants having the capacity of 668MW will retire by 2020, 810MW by 2021, 727MW by 2,022, 1,867MW by 2,023, 1,071MW by 2,024, 15MW by 2,025, 603MW by 2,026, 198MW by 2,027, 76MW by 2,028, 566MW by 2,029 and 741MW by 2,030.

“Our plan might be changed in line with the electricity generation plan,” a power division official said.

He said most of the rental, quick rental and diesel-fired plants will retire by 2030 as most of the low-cost plants will come into generation.

Besides, some old power plants in Ghorasal power hub will also retire, according to the official.