Power generation disrupted at 62 plants, load-shedding increases

Overall electricity generation has declined amid rising demand driven by hot weather, resulting in increased load-shedding and growing inconvenience for consumers.

Alongside the ongoing gas crisis, shortages of coal and liquid fuel have also emerged. In addition, two major power plants have suddenly encountered technical faults.

Some power plants are always under maintenance, as is still the case now.

Currently, the country has a total of 137 power plants, of which 64 are government-owned, 70 are private, and 3 are joint ventures with India and China.

According to the Power Development Board (PDB) and Power Grid Company of Bangladesh PLC (PGCB), the production of 62 power plants was disrupted yesterday, Thursday. Among them, production was halted in 20 power plants, while the rest produced at limited capacity. As a result, the highest load shedding yesterday during the day was 3, 664 megawatts.

For over a month, the country has been experiencing a severe gas crisis, and load shedding has been ongoing for about a month. Load shedding decreases when it rains and increases when it gets hotter. Initially, all the load shedding was imposed outside Dhaka.

However, since the night of 12 August, according to government instructions, load shedding is also being done in Dhaka. Although the plan is for Dhaka to experience one hour of load shedding once a day in any given area, this is not being adhered to.

Residents like Zalowashan Akhtar Khan from Bashundhara Residential Area said that load shedding occurs multiple times daily. Yesterday, it happened twice from morning till afternoon, resulting in generator breakdowns and fears of being stuck in elevators. There is also no gas at home, resulting in additional spending on LPG cylinders.

Electricity distribution in Dhaka is managed by DPDC and DESCO. Officials from both companies state that there are plans for 250 megawatts of load shedding from 11:00pm to 4: 30am, 200 megawatts from 6:00am to 12 noon, and another 200 megawatts from 2:00pm to 4:00pm.

There will be no load shedding from 4:00pm to 11:00pm. No area will experience load shedding more than once, meaning a Dhaka resident will only face load shedding for one hour in 24 hours. However, in some cases, there are disruptions based on electricity supply.

PDB and PGCB sources state that the highest load shedding this month was on 10 August, with 3,757 megawatts not being supplied. For a week starting 9 August, load shedding averaged three and a half thousand megawatts. Although it decreased, it has again increased over the past two days. Efforts are being made to manage the situation by increasing production from fuel oil.

Mohammad Zahurul Islam, a PDB member (production), told Prothom Alo that production has stopped in one unit each of two large coal-based power plants. There is also no full supply of electricity from the Adani power plant.

The supply of gas is not increasing, and even if desired, continuous production from oil-powered plants is not feasible due to periodic breaks, utilizing only half of their capacity. This has slightly increased the power shortfall.

According to the Power Division, the country''s electricity production capacity is about 29, 000 megawatts. During the peak load shedding yesterday, the demand was 16, 946 megawatts, while the supply was 13, 282 megawatts, meaning more than half the capacity was not being used.

The capacity to produce electricity from gas exceeds 12, 000 megawatts, but 5, 000 megawatts cannot be produced. Due to the gas crisis, supply to the power sector has decreased over the past few days in favor of increased supply to the industry.

Increasing production from fuel oil-powered plants will raise costs further. Nevertheless, higher authorities have instructed more extensive operations of oil-powered plants.

At night, production reaches up to three and a half thousand megawatts, staying between one and a half to two thousand megawatts during the day. There is a production capacity of over 6, 000 megawatts from fuel oil. PGCB sources say that yesterday there was a fuel oil supply shortage in 24 power plants.

PDB officials state that the capacity of 8 coal power plants is nearly 7, 000 megawatts. Yesterday, production was less than 5, 000 megawatts. Technical faults have shut down one unit of the Payra and regular maintenance has halted one unit of the Matarbari plant.

Additionally, two units of the Barapukuria plant have technical faults. The Adani coal power plant in Jharkhand, India, has a capacity of 1, 500 megawatts. Production has reduced since 7 August due to disrupted coal supply, producing 900 megawatts during the day and providing up to 1, 200 megawatts from evening until midnight.

The Rural Electrification Board (REB) distributes electricity outside Dhaka to rural areas through 80 associations. Besides REB, PDB supplies electricity to some areas. REB sources say due to supply shortages, they have to conduct load shedding multiple times in the same area. As of Wednesday midnight, total load shedding across the country was 2,828 megawatts, with 2,470 megawatts in REB areas.

Imran Karim, former president of the private power plant owners'' association BEPPA, told Prothom Alo that during the fiscal years of 2020-2021 and 2021-22, oil-powered plants operated at 60-70 per cent capacity. Production decreased as dues increased, leading to more load shedding.

If disputes with PDB, including those with outstanding balances, are resolved, production from oil-powered plants can still be increased.
Gas Supply Hasn''t Increased

Sharmila Sharmi, a resident of Bibir Baghicha in Jatrabari, told Prothom Alo that on Wednesday afternoon, during a holiday, electricity was out for an hour, and from 10:00pm it resumed at 10: 30pm. Yesterday it went out for an hour at 10: 10am. Gas is often not available either, so she uses electric stoves, increasing costs without reducing hassle.

Petrobangla sources say the country''s daily gas demand is 3. 8 billion cubic feet. Regular production from local gas fields is declining. In normal times, 2. 7 billion cubic feet is supplied to manage the situation, with 1. 05 billion cubic feet supplied from LNG. Yesterday, supply from LNG was less than 740 million cubic feet, making the total gas supply 2. 35 billion cubic feet.

The gas crisis is reducing electricity production, hindering industrial production, and increasing hardships in cooking and transportation.
To supply imported LNG, there are two floating terminals in Maheshkhali, Cox's Bazar. After a fire incident, the Excellerate terminal closed on 21 July, reducing gas supply and increasing the crisis. On 15 August, the Excellerate terminal became gas supply-ready again. However, supply can''t be increased as designated LNG cargo hasn''t arrived on time. It may take a few more days for gas supply to improve.

M Shamsul Alam, energy advisor of the Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB), told Prothom Alo that amid the crisis, direct purchase of LNG, importing LNG on unqualified ships, and constructing new terminals with inexperienced Chinese companies show no signs of overcoming the crisis. Structural reforms are needed to stop mismanagement, chaos, and theft; otherwise, the crisis will not end.