RAJSHAHI, Sept 17, 2022 (BSS) - Northern Electric Supply Company (NESCO) Limited will install 3,448.5 kilometers more power supply lines aimed at improving socio-economic conditions of the public in general through developing and strengthening the power distribution system.
 
Of those, 2,037.5 kilometers of new lines will be set up and 1,411-kilometer others will be renovated.
 
Besides, 33/11 KV three new substations, 11/4 KV 3,400 distribution transformers and 6.35/0.24 KV 451 distribution transformers will be installed and 20 33/11 substations will be improved and rehabilitated for providing new electricity connections to 2.35 lakh consumers.
 
The infrastructures will elevate power distribution capacity to additional 375 megawatts.
 
Through its five-year project titled "Rajshahi Division Distribution line and Substation Extension and Rehabilitation", NESCO Limited has been uplifting the infrastructures.
 
The Taka 1,091.32-crore project is being implemented in Rajshahi City Corporation and 21 upazilas in eight districts under Rajshahi division since January, 2019.
 
Project Director Engineer Hamidur Rahman told BSS that installation works of 1,043.57-kilometer lines, including 33KV 21.69-kilometer, 11KV 132.35-kilometer, 11/0.4KV 286.95-kilometer and 0.4KV 602.58-kilometer, were completed till June last.
 
In recent times, a large number of new rice mills, cold-storages, poultry farms and agro-based industries were established in the region.
 
Besides, big shopping malls, trade centres and a large number of educational institutions are functioning. An export processing zone has been set up in Pabna. The establishments have created a huge demand for power supply.
 
Upon successful implementation by June, 2023, the project will ensure safe and dependable electricity supply to the consumers in general coupled with providing improved clients services until 2030.
 
Meanwhile, Power Development Board (PDB) is now on the final stage of implementing another project in the division involving more than Taka 964.16 crore to ensure a safe and dependable power supply together with meeting the increasing demand for electricity till 2025.
 
The project styled "Power Distribution Management Development, Rajshahi Zone" being implemented in Rajshahi City and 16 upazilas of all eight districts since July 2015 with the main thrust of improving the distribution system along with capacity enhancement of the distribution zone coupled with supplying power uninterruptedly.
 
The scheme has started contributing a lot to meeting the gradually mounting power demand besides reducing system loss, said Executive Engineer Nizamul Haque Sarker of the PDB project.
 
It has also reduced load shedding caused by the power system weakness in the zone comprising 60 upazilas covering 16,493 square-kilometer areas with around 21.7 million people.
 
Engineer Nizam Haque says installation works of seventeen 33/11 KV new substations and standard up-gradation and renovation of existing 27 others were completed.
 
"We have constructed 1299-kilometer new distribution lines together with renovating 1714-kilometer existing lines," he added.
 
A number of office buildings, substation buildings, boundary walls, internal roads and drains were also constructed.
 
Around ninety percent implementation works on the project has, so far, been completed, he added.
 
Upon successful implementation, the two projects will enormously supplement the government vision of supplying power to all houses and establishments as these were adopted for making the existing power distribution system more strengthened and improved to ensure uninterrupted power supply to all consumers by 2030.
 
Through boosting load capacity to 1826 MVA, the schemes will make the power distribution system easier and will help improve the socio-economic condition of the project covering areas people.
 
As a whole, the projects will provide improved consumer services through ensuring quality development of power distribution and its conservation system, added Engineer Nizamul Haque.