No immediate solution to load-shedding: Tawfiq

Prime Minister’s Energy Adviser Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury on Sunday said there is no immediate solution to the existing load-shedding as the government has reduced the import of primary fuel to conserve foreign currency reserve.

“We have to cut fuel import considering the future situation as part of the plan to conserve foreign currencies,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar on the country’s development.

Iterating his call to people to be more patient and try to check any misuse of power in their consumption, he said developed nations like Britain and Germany are now experiencing 4-5 hours of load-shedding.

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The energy adviser said the government thought that the Russia-Ukraine war would stop but it has not happened.

He said there was a plan to import 1600MW of power from India’s Adani Group and also get 1000MW from Rampal power plant.

But transmission lines for these two projects are not ready and it will take 3-4 months more to get electricity from those.

“As a result, it is unlikely to improve the power supply situation very soon,” he said.

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He, however, said the government is trying to bring some natural gas from Bhola district and raise 1000MW of power generation from solar energy.

There is also a plan to replace some existing diesel-run irrigation pumps with solar-run irrigation systems, he added.