The government has disbursed Tk 1.04 lakh crore in capacity charges or rental payments to 82 independent power producers (IPPs) and 32 rental power plants over its three terms. Among the IPPs, the Bangladesh-China Power Company received the highest payment of Tk 7,455 crore, while Aggreko International Projects topped the list among rental power plants with Tk 2,341 crore. The government made these payments based on specific agreements, which include conditions such as maintaining an annual availability of 90%, conducting a dependable capacity test annually, ensuring operational security, obtaining environmental clearance, and renewing licenses yearly through the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission.
The government has paid capacity charges to 70 out of the 82 IPP power plants, amounting to Tk 76,242 crore between 2009 and June 30, 2023. Regarding rental power plants, the government paid Tk 28,684.73 crore in capacity charges to 32 such plants.
The state minister also shared that the Rural Power Development Board reported a net loss of Tk 2,563 crore in the 2022-23 financial year, and Desco’s net loss amounted to Tk 226.69 crore. Bangladesh is working to import 2,656 megawatts of electricity from India through six agreements, and the total power generation capacity in the country is 28,134 megawatts, with 1,195 MW generated from renewable sources. Additionally, steps have been taken to dig 46 wells by 2025 to meet the growing demand for gas in the country.
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