DHAKA, 11 February 2022, (TON): The Unite States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) awarded a nearly $1.5 million (Tk 12.90 crore) technical assistance grant to Power Cell to help improve the reliability, affordability and resiliency of Bangladesh’s electricity grid through smart grid infrastructure. 

A press release said “PC, a policy and planning agency under the Bangladeshi Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, will use the fund for improvement of the grid system.” 

Ambassador VinaiThummalapally (Ret.), USTDA’s Acting Director said “for USTDA, the grant we are signing is an important example of the climate-smart infrastructure projects we are looking to support.”

Vinai Thummalapally said “it has the potential to shape Bangladesh’s power grid, to make it more efficient and dynamic, and to create a stronger foundation for the integration of renewable energy solutions.”

USTDA’s assistance will provide a detailed roadmap that will provide an investment and implementation schedule for using smart grid technologies to improve the grid in Bangladesh over the next ten years.

 Massachusetts-based Boston Consulting Group will carry out the assistance.

Helen LaFave, Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Dhaka said “two-way communication brought about by a smart grid will allow us to generate and use power more intelligently and efficiently.  Implementing a smart grid is therefore an infrastructure development as potent as any bridge or flyover.”