Ensure smooth functioning of all power plants

The country is going to experience high temperature throughout the month of June. The mercury already raised making people’s life a veritable hell. The sweltering heat made lives of people unbearable, especially for day laborers. The meteorological department has forecasted that the high temperature would continue throughout the month of June.

Amid this boiling heat it is disheartening to know that Payra Thermal Power Plant remained shut from June 2 because of coal supply disruption caused by dollar crisis. It is more disheartening to learn that two more power plants – Rampal and Barishal power plants – might also meet the same fate due to shortage of coal. Because of maintenance works along with coal shortage the country will see 45 per cent of the power generation unutilized.

State Minister for Power Nasrul Hamid at a recent programme acknowledged the fact that the power cuts had been caused by fuel shortage. At present, the country has the capacity of producing 23, 370 MW. But from May 24 to May 29 the country had produced about 11, 200MW on average while the demand for power during the peak hours, especially in the evening was 13, 300MW, showed the data of the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGGB).

What is the point of having the capacity of producing 23, 370MW when the country even can’t produce its daily demand? We don’t have dollars to buy coal but we have money to pay capacity charges. It can’t be a sound policy in a country that can’t afford to buy coal to feed its power plants. We don’t know how long this capacity charge will continue to be paid when people are losing their capacity of buying daily essentials?

People in the capital have been experiencing acute load-shedding several times. The first week of May witnessed frequent power cuts as mild-to-moderate heat wave swept across the country. But after rains people got temporary relief from the sweltering heat. Now with the temperature rising, the demand for electricity is increasing again. Shutting down Payra Power Plant will significantly worsen, the already intolerable heatwave sweeping across the country.

What we came to know about the plight of the Payra Power Plant from a recent report by The Business Post report is that the plant was built under the Bangladesh-China Power Company Limited (BCPCL) and about $2 billion was spent on the project. According to the contract, BPDB provides fund to CMC, China’s state company as BPDB is only the buyer of electricity from the Payra Plant. As BPDB has failed to pay CMC, coal has not been imported.

This shows that there has long been mismanagement and weak administrative functions that has hindered the smooth functioning of the power plant. Why weren’t there any pre-emptive measures that could have avoided the sorry state? There indeed should have been alternative plans in case of any monetary constraints. The authorities concerned needs to have plans ready in case of any future occurrences.

The BCPCL Managing Director told the Business Post that an arrangement would be made to pay $150 million to CMC to import coal. If this coal even comes it will take at least a month as LC opening takes at least 20-25 days. If things are not taken into consideration before it is too late such mismanagement will continue to go on much to the sufferings of common people.

We hope the government will take immediate steps to import coal to make the plant functional to give some comfort to people during the sweltering heat during the current month.