More 1360MW Electricity

The government hopes to produce 1,360 megawatts (MW) of additional electricity by March next year aiming to reduce power outages and boost industrial production.

State minister for power Enamul Haque told a meting of the parliamentary standing committee on power ministry that the government would be able to add at least 4,000 MW during its five-year term ending in 2014.

"The minister has informed us that additional 960 MW of electricity will be supplied to the national grid by January 2010," Subid Ali Bhuiyan, the standing committee chairman, told journalists at parliament's media centre.

"Besides, 400 MW more will be produced by March next year.

"It means a further 1,360 MW of electricity will go to the national grid by March 2010," he said.

The committee chairman said energy ministry is trying to give work order of a tender to produce 600 MW of electricity.

"If the present government can implement its electricity generation plan, we will be able to add at least 4,000 MW of electricity in five years," Bhuiyan quoted the energy minister as saying.

"Then power outages in the country will go," he said.

Production of electricity in the public sector in 2009 was about 4,300 MW per day against the daily demand for about 7,000 MW, according to the ministry figures.