The countrywide load-shedding of electricity has been increasing because of a huge gas shortage that has led to a significant fall in power generation.
Bangladesh Power Development Board’s official data shows that the country had to resort to 1,500MW of load-shedding on Sunday while there was a forecast of a power-cut of 1,273MW.
“But obviously, the authorities have to go for a load-shedding of more than the projected amount”, said a BPDB top official, who preferred anonymity.
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The official data shows the country’s highest power generation was recorded 12,115MW in the evening on Sunday against a demand for 13,615MW, meaning a 1,500MW gap between the peak demand and supply in power generation.
“This gap is being covered up by load-shedding”, said the BPDB official.
Normally, the power generation varies between 1300MW-1400MW and the highest generation was recorded 14,782MW on April 16 this year.
According to BPDB official data, of the 1500MW load-shedding, Dhaka region experienced 400MW while Chattogram 200MW, Khulna 220MW, Rajshahi 220MW, Cumilla 140MW, Mymensingh 120MW, Sylhet 50MW and Rangpur regions 150MW on Sunday.
However, many energy experts don’t trust the BPDB statistics. Rather they believe that the extent of the load-shedding and interruption in power supply is more than the official figure.
“BPDB never provides an actual figure of its power supply scenario”, said energy expert and Consumers Association of Bangladesh Senior Vice-Chairman Prof M Shamsul Alam.
Meanwhile, many consumers in the capital Dhaka and elsewhere reported a huge load-shedding and frequent interruption in power supply.
Habibur Rahman, a consumer of Uttara area in the city, said he had to regularly experience load-shedding in three to four spells a day and every time a power-cut continues for more than half an hour.
Similar experiences were shared by consumers in other areas in the city including Malibagh, Mouchak, Nakhalpara, Shantinagar, Magbazar, Niketan, Gulshan, Mohammadpur, Mirpur, Sutrapur, Jatrabari and Badda.
They said the extent of such load-shedding and interruption in power supply has been increasing in recent days.
BPDB officials attributed the fall in power generation to the shortage in gas supply.
They said they have to suspend generation of 3,650MW of electricity due to shortage in gas supply to their power plants.
Recently, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid admitted the crisis in power and gas supply.
In his verified Facebook page he wrote, “Power production is being disrupted due to shortage of gas. As a result, power supply is being disrupted in many places. The power generation generally will be normal once the gas supply improves.”
He also claimed the price hike of energy in the international market due to the war has put the country in trouble like other nations.
“In such a situation I regret the temporary inconvenience,” he added.
State-owned Petrobangla officials said that the country’s gas production and supply experienced a fall following a government decision not to import liquefied natural gas from the international spot market due to excessive price hike.
On the global market, per MMBtu of LNG is being sold over $35 while a few months back it was below $25.
As a result, the local gas supply has decreased to 2,822 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) from a regular supply of 3,500 mmcfd which creates a shortage of about 700 mmcfd.
