✅ Bangladesh Power Sector: Comprehensive Market Overview (2025)
🔍 1. Context and Growth
Bangladesh has emerged as one of the fastest-growing economies in South Asia, with GDP growth averaging 6–7% annually over the past decade. This growth has driven rapid industrialization and urbanization — and placed enormous pressure on the country’s historically underdeveloped energy sector.
Since the 1990s, Bangladesh’s electricity demand has increased by roughly 200–250 MW per year. Peak demand crossed 16,000 MW in 2023–24 and is projected to reach 34,000 MW by 2030, according to the updated Power System Master Plan (PSMP 2016) and recent government estimates.
The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) forecasts that total installed capacity must reach 40,000 MW by 2030 and 60,000 MW by 2041 to meet demand and economic growth targets.
📈 2. Current Installed and Effective Capacity
| Metric | Value (2024) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total Installed Capacity | ~25,700 MW | Includes grid-connected, captive, renewables, and imports |
| Effective Dependable Capacity | ~19,500 MW | Seasonal fuel shortages cause a gap |
| Peak Generation (Served) | ~16,500 MW | Daily peak varies by season |
| Peak Demand (Estimated) | ~19,000 MW | Unmet demand often handled by load-shedding or backup diesel |
| Transmission Line Length | ~13,500 circuit km | National grid length |
| Distribution Line Length | ~520,000 km | Nationwide coverage |
| Total Electricity Consumers | ~46 million+ | Nearly universal grid access |
| Per Capita Consumption | ~580–600 kWh/year | Still far below world average |
| Grid Access | ~99% | Full coverage, but reliability gaps remain |
⚡ 3. Current Power Mix
Bangladesh’s fuel mix remains heavily reliant on domestic natural gas — though dwindling reserves have forced more reliance on expensive imported fuels like HFO, HSD, and LNG.
| Source | Approx. Share (%) | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Gas | ~50% | Domestic gas + imported LNG |
| Furnace Oil (HFO) | ~25% | Costly rental and peaking plants |
| Diesel (HSD) | ~7% | Used for emergency generation |
| Coal | ~12% | Includes Barapukuria and new plants (Rampal, Matarbari) |
| Hydro | ~1% | Karnafuli Hydro Power Station only |
| Renewables | ~4% | Mostly off-grid solar |
| Cross-border Imports | ~5% | India + test trade with Bhutan & Nepal |
✅ 4. Key Achievements
-
Peak generation capacity increased from ~10,000 MW in 2014 to ~25,700 MW by 2024.
-
System loss (transmission & distribution) reduced to ~9% from ~15% a decade ago.
-
Grid coverage expanded from ~60% in 2014 to near-universal access today.
-
Bangladesh has installed over 6 million Solar Home Systems (SHS) — the world’s fastest-growing off-grid solar program.
-
Cross-border power trade with India increased from 500 MW in 2013 to over 1,160 MW in 2024.
🔑 5. Current Generation Expansion Pipeline
| Project Stage | No. of Plants | Capacity (MW) |
|---|---|---|
| Commissioned since 2014 | 57 plants | ~4,432 MW |
| Under Construction | 33 plants | ~6,569 MW |
| Under Tender | 19 plants | ~3,974 MW |
| Early Planning | 9 plants | ~3,542 MW |
| TOTAL PIPELINE | 118 plants | ~18,500 MW |
Key Flagship Projects:
-
Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant: 2,400 MW under construction, first unit expected by 2025–26.
-
Rampal Coal Power Plant: 1,320 MW, JV with NTPC India.
-
Matarbari Coal Plant: 1,200 MW, Japan-backed.
-
Karnaphuli LNG Terminal: To boost LNG-based generation.
-
Multiple large solar parks and rooftop pilots in Mymensingh, Feni, and Cox’s Bazar.
⚙️ 6. Generation Planning: Fuel Mix Strategy
| Time Horizon | Planned Projects |
|---|---|
| Immediate (6–12 months) | Rental & quick rental plants using liquid fuel |
| Short Term (1–2 years) | Peaking plants using HFO/HSD |
| Medium Term (3–5 years) | Combined cycle plants (gas/LNG); coal-fired steam plants |
| Long Term (5+ years) | Nuclear, LNG-based combined cycle, large coal, offshore wind, expanded solar |
🌞 7. Renewable Energy Snapshot
| Source | Key Facts |
|---|---|
| Solar | Over 6 million SHS installed, 500+ solar irrigation pumps, several MW-scale solar parks under development |
| Wind | Estimated coastal potential of 2,000+ MW; pilot wind measurement stations in Cox’s Bazar, Kuakata, and islands |
| Biomass/Biogas | ~70,000+ household biogas plants; rice husk gasifiers under test in Rangpur, Rajshahi |
| Hydro | Limited to 230 MW at Karnafuli + micro-hydro options in Hill Tracts |
Renewable Target: ~10% of total generation by 2030 (~3,000 MW).
💲 8. Investment Needs
-
The Power Division estimates $25–30 billion in new investment needed by 2030.
-
Private investors encouraged under revised Private Sector Power Generation Policy: incentives include tax holidays, repatriation of profits, tariff guarantees.
-
Multilateral partners: ADB, JICA, World Bank, IDCOL — heavily involved in financing generation, transmission upgrades, off-grid solar.
⚡ 9. Challenges
-
Domestic gas reserves depleting — expensive LNG import dependency.
-
Heavy reliance on fuel oil for quick rental plants raises generation costs.
-
Slow execution of large coal and nuclear projects.
-
Land scarcity for large solar and wind farms.
-
Climate vulnerability: floods, cyclones threaten coastal infrastructure.
-
Funding gaps for grid modernization.
✅ 10. Prospective Vision: Bangladesh 2041
Key government goals:
-
Generation capacity: 60,000 MW by 2041.
-
100% reliable access for all households and industries.
-
Greater fuel diversification: more LNG, coal, nuclear, hydro imports, renewables.
-
Deeper cross-border trade with India, Nepal, Bhutan for green hydro.
-
Expand offshore wind feasibility, explore floating solar and tidal pilots.
📊 Bangladesh Power Sector at a Glance (Key Table)
| Indicator | 2014 | 2024 | 2030 (Target) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installed Capacity | ~10,000 MW | ~25,700 MW | ~40,000 MW |
| Peak Demand | ~9,000 MW | ~19,000 MW | ~34,000 MW |
| Access to Electricity | ~60% | ~99% | 100% with reliability |
| Per Capita Consumption | ~321 kWh | ~580–600 kWh | ~1,200 kWh |
| Renewables Share | ~0.5% | ~4% | 10% |
| System Loss | ~15% | ~9% | <8% |
| Cross-border Imports | 500 MW | 1,160 MW | 2,500 MW+ |
🔑 Key Takeaway
Bangladesh’s power sector transformation is one of Asia’s most ambitious — but huge challenges remain: from securing long-term fuel supply and modernizing the grid to scaling up renewables and climate resilience. Success will depend on balanced diversification, regional cooperation, technology transfer, and massive public-private investment.
