The government has set a target to increase the country’s electricity distribution capacity by an additional 6,255 MVA by 2031.
The plan was revealed on Thursday in Parliament by Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, in response to a written question from Feni-2 Member of Parliament Zainal Abedin.
The minister expressed hope that once the initiative is implemented, power outages will be significantly reduced, ensuring a stable electricity supply for both industrial and residential sectors.
Parliament was informed that currently, a total of 1,834 power substations are operational under six electricity distribution agencies and companies. Among them, 1,306 are under the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB), 187 under the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), 99 under DPDC, 97 under WZPDCL, 60 under DESCO, and 85 under NESCO.
Regarding ongoing and future projects to enhance capacity, the minister stated that construction of 139 new substations is progressing rapidly across the country. The government is making significant investments, particularly to improve the quality of electricity supply in rural areas.
He further noted that under BREB, five projects are currently underway, while three more are awaiting approval. Through the construction of 128 new substations and the upgrading of 76 existing ones, an additional 2,543 MVA capacity is being added. Moreover, another 3,712 MVA capacity will be added through the construction of 226 new substations. Altogether, this will result in an additional 6,255 MVA of power distribution capacity by 2031.
Highlighting modernization efforts by other agencies, the minister said that two new projects have commenced in the Mymensingh and Cumilla regions. In the western region, four projects are currently ongoing, with four more in the pipeline. In the northern region, three projects are underway, and one new project is in the planning stage.