Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC) clinches two titles at Asian Power Awards

The company has made significant improvements in its operations in just 15 years since its establishment.

Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC) is the leading power distribution utility in Bangladesh. It brought home two major wins at the Asian Power Awards 2023 for its remarkable performance in 2022, as well as its Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping project.

Since the inception of its operation in July 2008, DPDC is now serving approximately 1.7 million customers, and its service area consists of around 250 square kilometres lying between the central and southern parts of the capital city of Dhaka and the adjoining townships of Narayangonj. DPDC has managed to cut down and uphold the Aggregate Technical & Commercial (AT&C) losses to a single digit for the last several years.

Moreover, DPDC has made significant improvements in customer service and has adopted a policy to introduce good governance, corporate culture, e-procurement and transparency to achieve relative excellence in service. The peak load met by DPDC has also gone up approx. by 77% to 2016 MW. System capacity now stands at approximately 4400 MVA compared to 1604 MVA in July 2008. 

The company has also now provided a 24/7 Call Center – enabling the efficient handling of customer communications. Customers now get quick solutions to any sort of grievance related to electricity and information from DPDC’s call centre. 

Online channels have also been utilised, as customers can now apply for a new electricity connection through DPDC’s website. Customers can also now pay their prepaid and postpaid bills through their mobile, app, or online banking channels. POS is also available in abundance for recharge of prepayment meters.

“DPDC aims to be the ‘company of choice’ by enhancing its operational efficiency and commitment to its customers to ensure reliable and quality power,” Bikash Dewan, Managing Director of the company said.

Introducing cutting-edge innovation in the distribution network

DPDC has been the pacesetter in adopting smart and sustainable technology solutions in Bangladesh. DPDC realises that digital and power electronics-supported technologies are the game changers for efficient energy and power management in Bangladesh.

Accordingly, DPDC has successfully deployed the latest distribution technologies like Automated Meter Reading (AMR), Prepayment Metering System, Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), Substation Automation System (SAS), Underground Distribution Network, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Drone based network monitoring and surveillance in the field of O &M, Smart Metering System, Geographical Information System (GIS), etc.  Moreover, the Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), and Smart Grid are under the phase of implementation in DPDC.  

DPDC’s GIS project is a single source of data for assets installed in the network with specifications and locations and is linked with customer information systems, which allows DPDC to proactively monitor work orders and outages, amongst others, for superior customer service.

The project is unique in Bangladesh in the sense that no other power utility in Bangladesh has previously introduced GIS for planning and network analysis purposes. DPDC is the pioneer in implementing GIS amongst other power utilities in Bangladesh. GIS is being uniquely utilised as a useful tool for planning and operation & maintenance (O&M) purposes in DPDC and pinpointing any asset information such as lines, poles, and new customers, amongst others, and has become much quicker.

With the application of GIS, DPDC solves major business problems such as web-based near real-time power outage visualisations, customer status and feeder data queries with spatial visualisation, and monitoring, supervision, & tracking of distribution network assets, amongst others.

“The GIS solution encompasses the entire business value chain in DPDC, from setting up distribution networks and load management to customer information, asset management, billing, and customer services. This digital platform provides a timely, accurate, and easier way of acquiring information, which is very vital in taking prompt and accurate decisions,” Dewan said.

DPDC’s success factor

DPDC’s success hinges on two important factors- its continuous effort to achieve excellence in customer service and its adoption of smart and sustainable technology solutions for efficient operation and sustainable development. DPDC is acknowledged for its consumer-friendly practices and it is always a pioneer in launching an array of digital initiatives for the convenience of its consumers. 

DPDC realises the paramount significance of creativity and innovation in propelling business triumph. By fostering a culture that nurtures creativity, DPDC empowers its employees at all levels to think outside the box, bring paradigm shift in mindset, embrace emerging technology opportunities, challenge conventional norms, and generate new ideas and approaches. DPDC has strengthened its position in the new phase of the power industry’s dynamic growth in Bangladesh and is confident of being ready for future challenges.

In the Asian Power Awards 2023, DPDC took home the Power Utility of the Year - Bangladesh, whilst the GIS project won the Innovative Power Technology of the Year - Bangladesh category in the prestigious awards programme.

The Asian Power Awards, now in its 19th year, celebrates and honors companies and projects that have taken innovative and game-changing steps to address the effects of the climate crisis and meet the growing energy demand.

The Asian Power Awards is presented by Asian Power Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2024 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's revolutionary innovations and initiatives in the power industry in Asia, please contact Julie Anne Nuñez at [email protected].