Severe power outages have hit the country as a combination of acute gas shortages, inadequate supplies of coal and liquid fuels, technical problems at major power plants, and scheduled maintenance has sharply disrupted electricity generation.
With overall power generation falling at an alarming rate, load-shedding has reached extreme levels across the country, including Dhaka. With supply falling far short of demand, ordinary people are suffering around the clock, day and night.
According to data from the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and Power Grid Bangladesh PLC (PGCB), electricity generation was severely disrupted at 62 of the country’s 137 power plants yesterday, Thursday.
Of these, 20 plants were completely shut down, while the remaining 42 were operating at reduced capacity. As a result, peak load-shedding during the daytime reached 3,664 megawatts. Earlier, on August 10, the highest load-shedding of the current season—3,757 megawatts—was recorded.
According to the Power Division, the country has total power-generation capacity of around 29,000 megawatts. Yet during Thursday’s peak demand period, only 13,282 megawatts were generated, against demand of 16,946 megawatts.
In other words, more than half of the country’s generation capacity remained unused simply because of fuel shortages. Gas-fired power plants have more than 12,000 megawatts of capacity, but they are currently able to generate only around 5,000 megawatts. A large portion of the available gas is now being diverted to industries, reducing supplies to the power sector.
Because of the gas crisis, which has persisted for more than a month, people in rural areas outside Dhaka have been suffering from severe load-shedding for quite some time. However, since August 12, load-shedding has also begun in the capital under government directives.
Although the Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC) and Dhaka Electric Supply Company (DESCO) planned one hour of load-shedding per area each day, consumers complain that actual outages on the ground are lasting much longer.
Power cuts are occurring repeatedly not only at night but also during busy daytime hours, raising fears of people becoming trapped in elevators in high-rise buildings and causing severe water shortages in homes.
The situation at coal-fired power plants is also precarious. The country’s eight coal-fired plants have a combined capacity of 7,000 megawatts, but current generation is below 5,000 megawatts.
Generation at the Payra and Barapukuria plants has been disrupted by technical problems. One unit at the Matarbari plant is currently shut down for routine maintenance.
In addition, the 1,500-megawatt power plant operated by India’s Adani Group has reduced generation since August 7 because of coal-supply problems. Although the plant is generating around 900 megawatts during the day, it is able to supply 1,200 megawatts only during peak hours.
To manage the situation, authorities have instructed power producers to operate more of the high-cost oil-fired plants. However, 24 plants were facing shortages of furnace oil and diesel.
According to Imran Karim, former president of the Bangladesh Independent Power Producers Association (BIPPA), oil-based power generation could be increased quickly if ongoing disputes between private power plants and the BPDB—including issues over outstanding payments—were resolved.
Meanwhile, severe shortages of gas and electricity are directly affecting household cooking and industrial production. According to Petrobangla data, against daily gas demand of 3.8 billion cubic feet, supply stood at only 2.35 billion cubic feet yesterday.
Gas supplies were severely disrupted after one of the two floating LNG terminals at Maheshkhali was involved in an accident in July. Although the terminal has since resumed operations, the crisis persists because regular LNG cargoes are not arriving on schedule.
M Shamsul Alam, energy adviser to the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), strongly criticized the overall mismanagement. He said the crisis cannot be resolved because of factors including the direct-purchase system for LNG, the use of unsuitable vessels, and reliance on inexperienced companies.
Without sweeping structural reforms in the power and energy sectors, an end to disorder and corruption, there is little prospect of ordinary people being freed from this prolonged suffering.