Industrial electricity: navigating PBS, DPDC and DESCO connections

Industrial power outside the metropolitan areas is delivered through the Palli Bidyut Samity network under the rural electrification structure; inside Dhaka it is DPDC or DESCO. The paperwork differs in detail but the sequence is the same, and understanding it prevents the most common scheduling error: ordering machinery before the feasibility outcome is known.

The sequence

• Application with declared connected load, supported by company and land documents.
• Feasibility study establishing whether the existing line can carry the load or new infrastructure is required.
• Approved electricity plan prepared by a licensed electrical engineer.
• Construction cost deposit — the applicant funds the line extension, transformer and metering equipment.
• Wiring inspection by an approved electrician and issue of the inspection certificate.
• Energisation and commercial metering.

Where the deposit surprises people

The construction cost is not a nominal fee. For a site distant from an adequate line it can be a material capital item, and it is quoted after the feasibility study rather than before. Investors who model utility connection as a fixed administrative cost are the ones who face a budget reopening at the worst moment. We obtain an indicative assessment early so the number enters the project budget at the feasibility stage.