Submarine power line to connect isolated Kutubdia with national grid in Feb

Infograph: TBS

The lighthouse-famed Kutubdia Island in Cox's Bazar is set to come under the national grid of electricity coverage by the end of this February through a 33kV (kilovolt) submarine cable line from Matarbari.

Besides, people in Hatia and Nijhum islands in Noakhali will be given access to continuous power supply within March and May, in that order, through a 10MW (megawatt) private power plant set up in Hatia, said officials of the "100% Reliable and Sustainable Electrification in Hatia Island, Nijhum Island, and Kutubdia Island" project.

The overall progress of the project – taken up in 2020 involving a total cost of Tk400 crore – is now 76%, said Project Director Md Farooq Ahmed, who is also a supervising engineer of the Bangladesh Power Development Board. The project will be completed within the stipulated time of June this year, he hoped.

The authorities plan to bring 30,000 households in Kutubdia, 35,000 in Hatia, and 4,000 in Nijhum Island under electricity coverage initially, said Farooq Ahmed, adding, "Through these connections, the entire population can be brought under electricity coverage."

Project officials told TBS that a 33kV line with a river crossing tower has been constructed from Matarbari in Moheshkhali to Mognama Ghat in Cox's Bazar.

Besides, a 5km double-circuit submarine line is being laid from Mognama Ghat to Kutubdia, a 3km portion of which has already been completed. The remaining 2km will be completed by the end of February, they said, adding that the submarine station will also be launched by then.

At the same time, there will be a 2km overhead line and distribution line on the island.

Under the project, a total of 720 kilometres of transmission and distribution lines are being laid on the three islands. About 90% of the work has been completed.

About 200,000 people live in the 215-square-kilometre area of Kutubdia Island.

In 1980, electricity supply to some 600 people on the island was begun through a generator for several hours in the evening. But the electricity supply was cut off after the utility poles were broken in the cyclone of 1991.

After that, electricity was supplied to the island on a limited scale at various times. In 2005, after repairing a one-and-a-half kilometre line, the Power Development Board provided electricity to upazila headquarters and some areas for a few hours in the evening through two generators.

Besides, in 2008, a wind power plant with a capacity of 1MW was constructed on the island, but it did not work much. It is also closed now.

Meanwhile, three substations are being constructed on Hatia Island. One of them started operation on 11 November last year and work on the other two is in the final stage, said project officials.

Electricity will be taken from Hatia to Nijhum Island through an 11kV submarine line. A private power plant with a 10MW capacity has already been built in Hatia.

As in Kutubdia, in Hatia too electricity was provided to some areas through generators. Besides, affluent people have installed solar home systems. But the majority of the people living there are still in the dark. About 500,000 people inhabit the upazila of a total area of 2,100 square kilometres.

Project Director Farooq Ahmed said, "The people of Kutubdia will get electricity by the end of February. A substation has been commissioned in Hatia. The private power plant is also ready. But it cannot be fully operational as customer load has not been generated because of the winter season. Hopefully, the power plant will be launched by the end of March. We look to supply electricity to Nijhum Island as well by April-May."