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Load shedding increases again with fall in power generation

UNB . Dhaka
30 May 2023 21:32:09 | Update: 30 May 2023 21:33:47
Load shedding increases again with fall in power generation
File photo shows an employee of a shoe store sitting idle during a power cut in Dhaka — Shamsul Haque Ripon

Power supply wanes owing to a fall in generation and rising mercury levels in summer.

According to official sources at the state-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), the country experienced 1,451MW of load shedding at 12 noon on Monday to serve a demand of 13,300 MW.

The BPDB was able to supply the highest 11,849 MW through its generation units, they said.

The BPDB officials said there is an official forecast that during peak hours in the evening on Tuesday, the demand will go up to 14,900 MW (Generation end) and the maximum generation will be 14,937 and there will be 37 MW of surplus in the generation.

Officials, however, said the forecast never reflects the ground reality as always the country experiences more load shedding than the predicted figure.

"In most of the cases, the actual amount of load shedding does not come in the official figure," said a top official of the BPDB.

Meanwhile, consumers in Dhaka city and elsewhere alleged that they have been experiencing power outages more than 6 hours a day.

Abdul Quddus, a consumer living in Kishoreganj, complained they get electricity only for a few hours a day while most of the time they have to remain without electricity.

A resident in the Moghbazar area in the capital alleged that they experience power cuts every other hour.

BPDB official statistics showed that the organization had to resort to load shedding of 586 MW of load shedding on Monday evening while demand was 14,203 MW and supply was 13,617 MW.

They said that due to a shortage of coal and gas supply, power generation is decreasing.
 


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