Bangladesh has achieved tremendous success in the power and communications sector during the last 12 years. Now Bangladesh has been transformed into a power-surplus country from a power-starved one.
Experts suggest that Third Rail, a modern and safer system for running train by electricity, is very cost-effective and it will save huge amount of revenue. So, the whole rail network of the country should be brought under this system as soon as possible. Besides, Third Rail system is much faster than the existing diesel-run trains as it is run by electric traction and it is environment- friendly too.
Besides, the country has already entered a new era- the age of Metrorail run by electricity.
Experts suggested introducing ‘third rail’ for a smooth and environment -friendly communication system across the country.
‘Third rail’, also known as a live rail, electric rail or conductor rail, is a method of providing electric power to a railway locomotive or train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It has metal contact blocks (‘contact shoes’) which make contact with the conductor rail. These take 33kv AC from the railway ring main, convert it to 750V DC and pump it into the rails.
According to the Power Division the country’s power generation capacity has increased around five times during the last 12 years, leading to overall development of the economy.
Currently, 99 percent of people have been brought under electricity coverage.
When the Awami League-led government assumed office in 2009, the nation was suffering a chronic power supply crisis. The average power demand at the time was about 6,000MW while power generation capacity of the country was less than 4942MW. Now the installed capacity of grid-based electricity has increased to around 22,000MW (with imported and renewable power). However, the electricity demand is around 9000MW to 11,500MW. That means, more than 10,000MW of electricity is surplus.
The government has set a target to generate 24,000 megawatts electricity by 2021, 40,000 megawatts by 2030, and 60,000 megawatts by 2041.
The Power Division has set a projection that the country’s net generation capacity will be 35,635MW, while demand will be 19,900MW in 2025.
According to BPDB, currently, 59 power plants having total capacity 14,079MW of electricity are being constructed, which are likely to start generation by 2025. Besides, some 1496 MW of electricity will be imported during this period,
On the other hand, the country’s first nuclear power plant is now under construction at Rooppur in Pabna. Construction work of the power plant with two units, with the total capacity of 2,400MW is going on fast. It would produce and add to the national grid by 2023-2024.
However, the power division has also started its work to make a new plan by next December. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is working on the master plan for the power sector. They have already hired consultants to make the plan a reality. JICA said on its website that the goal of the new master plan would be to reduce carbon emissions.
The first Metro Rail operation in the history of the country was shown with the help of electricity at the Metro Rail depot in Uttara, Dhaka on May 11. Experts say that after launching the metro rail, the use of diesel will be reduced. Besides, more than 168,000 tonnes of carbon emissions will be reduced per year. However, the government has set a target to construct an about 129 km long Metro Rail line with six routes in and around Dhaka city.
There will be electricity poles on both sides of the metro rail line. The electricity can be connected from the two poles to the wire. The cable will be connected to the upper part of the train to conduct electricity and it runs through this. This system is called 'overhead catenary system'. The trains will have a DC 1500 voltage power supply system. Around 80MW of electricity will be required to run the metro rail with a 20.1 km long line.
In this situation, experts think that the implementation of the third rail project is time befitting as there is no problem with power generation in the country. Currently, around 300 trains are running on diesel in different routes across the country. As a result, it is causing a huge amount of carbon emission, which is harmful for the environment.
Third rail systems were installed from the 1920s onwards as in those days it was cheaper and more suitable to metro operations. Many countries like France, USA, UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Finland are using this system.
