Currently, the country’s daily electricity demand is 15,000 megawatts, against which 14,000 megawatts of electricity is being produced. The impact of load shedding of more than 1,000 megawatts is greater in rural areas than in Dhaka. On the one hand, the intensity of the heat and on the other hand, hours of power outages have made life miserable.
However, the picture of power generation and load shedding was somewhat different last year. No severe load shedding was seen anywhere in Dhaka or rural areas. However, the Iran-US war that began at the beginning of the summer season this year disrupted the supply chain of imported fuel products for power generation. Most of the country’s power plants are suffering from a fuel crisis due to the increase in the prices of furnace oil and coal and the disruption of LNG imports. As a result, Bangladesh has increased the price of furnace oil, but the crisis is not going away anytime soon. Oil-based power generation is generally expensive. As the government is under financial pressure with the energy sector, the government is trying to increase power generation through coal and gas, which are relatively affordable.
Load shedding picture
The total generation capacity of 139 power plants in the country is 29,269 MW. However, half of this capacity sits idle throughout the year. Till April 18, the total electricity generation in the country was 13,732 MW, while the demand was 14,552 MW. On the same day, during the peak hour (evening), the demand went up to 15,722 MW, against which 14,767 MW of electricity was generated. On Monday (April 20), the maximum electricity demand was set at 16,500 MW.
Analyzing the BPDB data of April 16, it can be seen that load shedding was 1,482 MW against total generation. Out of this, Dhaka had the highest load shedding, 360 MW. Besides, 120 MW load shedding has been done in Chittagong, 319 MW in Khulna, 195 MW in Rajshahi, 210 MW in Comilla, 80 MW in Mymensingh, 25 MW in Sylhet, 95 MW in Barisal and 78 MW in Rangpur. Overall, load shedding outside Dhaka has been 1,122 MW.
Md. Zahurul Islam, Member (Generation), BPDB said: The energy crisis is having an impact on power generation, but we hope that load shedding will not be large-scale. The production of gas and coal-based plants is being increased. Due to the increase in the price of furnace oil, the cost of oil-based production has increased, so for now, a certain amount of power is being generated from there.
According to the National Load Dispatch Center, the electricity demand at 6 am on April 18 was 14,401 MW. In contrast, 13,596 MW was generated. That is, 805 MW of load shedding was done during that time. Similarly, load shedding of 1255 MW at 7 am, 643 MW at 8 am, 360 MW at 9 am, 209 MW at 10 am, 679 MW at 11 am, 1106 MW at 12 noon, 1036 MW at 1 pm, 844 MW at 2 pm, 562 MW at 3 pm, 168 MW at 4 pm, 127 MW at 5 pm, 118 MW at 6 pm, 128 MW at 7 pm, 142 MW at 8 pm, 74 MW at 9 pm, 141 MW at 10 pm, 451 MW at 11 pm, 733 MW at 12 pm, 814 MW at 1 am, 898 MW at 2 pm, 953 MW at 3 pm, 914 MW at 4 pm and 682 MW at 5 am will be done. It has happened.
Locals said that it is not clear when the electricity goes and when it comes. The heat has not started yet, but the way load shedding is happening 7-8 times a day before that is quite unbearable. This is disrupting agricultural work as well as daily household work.
According to BPDB data, there was no load shedding in Dhaka and Barisal on April 18. However, 95 MW load shedding was done in Chittagong, 110 MW in Comilla, 100 MW in Mymensingh, 30 MW in Sylhet, 145 MW in Khulna, 110 MW in Rajshahi and 53 MW in Rangpur.
The national grid management is divided into two parts. Among them, Dhaka, Chittagong, Comilla, Mymensingh and Sylhet are under the Eastern Grid and Khulna, Barisal, Rajshahi and Rangpur are under the Western Grid.
A review of PGCB data shows that due to the high demand for electricity in the Dhaka region, the supply of electricity to the Eastern Grid is comparatively higher than that of the Western Grid. On April 18, 10,020 MW of electricity was supplied to the Eastern Grid, of which 5,618 MW of electricity was supplied to Dhaka itself. In addition, 1,425 MW of electricity was supplied to Chittagong, 1,378 MW to Comilla, 1,019 MW to Mymensingh and 580 MW to Sylhet.
Shahadat Hossain Sarkar, Acting Chief Engineer, NESCO (Rangpur Region) said: Currently, the demand in Rangpur division is 900 MW. We are getting 25-30 MW of electricity less than the demand, that is, there is a shortage. Due to this, there is not much load shedding.
The amount of electricity supplied to the entire Western Grid is less than that of Dhaka. The total electricity supplied to the Western Grid on April 18 was 4,295 MW. Of this, 1754 MW of electricity has been supplied to Khulna, 488 MW to Barisal, 1491 MW to Rajshahi and 562 MW to Rangpur.
Rural situation
The amount of load shedding in villages is much higher than in Dhaka. With load shedding occurring 6 to 8 times a day, there is no electricity for an average of 4-6 hours a day. This is disrupting normal life, as well as affecting agricultural work and small factories.
Amjad Hossain of Tambulpur Union in Pirgachha Upazila of Rangpur said, “It is not clear when the electricity goes out and when it comes in. The heat has not started yet, but the way load shedding is happening 7-8 times a day before that is quite unbearable. This is disrupting agricultural work as well as daily household work.
Jahangir Kabir of Munshipara area of Rangpur city, there is not much load shedding in the city, it is at a tolerable level now. However, SSC exams are ahead, and uninterrupted power is needed during this time.
Md. Rezaul Karim, Engineer, Rural Electricity said: Rangpur division currently has a demand for 600 megawatts of electricity. In contrast, the deficit is 15-20 megawatts. Compared to other regions, load shedding has not started in Rangpur yet. We advise everyone to be economical in using electricity in rural areas.
Meanwhile, the government has set a time to close commercial establishments to deal with the electricity and energy crisis, but it is not being followed due to lack of government supervision. There have been reports of shops and markets being kept open even after 9 pm in Rangpur and surrounding districts and upazilas.
The concerned power officials say that the situation is at a tolerable level in Rangpur region. Since there is not much shortage compared to the demand, severe load shedding has not started yet.
On the other hand, the amount of load shedding has also increased in Rajshahi region. NESCO Executive Director (Operations) Makhlesur Rahman said that the demand for electricity varies from time to time. The demand is comparatively low in the morning. Therefore, load shedding does not occur much during this time.
He said that from 10 am to 3 pm on April 20, the demand and allocation were equal in Rajshahi Circle-1 (the demand was up to a maximum of 119.4 MW). As a result, there was no load shedding. However, at 8 pm, the demand increased to 124 MW, but the allocation was 111 MW, resulting in 13 MW load shedding in this circle. In Rajshahi Circle 2, the demand throughout the day was between 57 MW and 68.6 MW.
Babu, a resident of Budhpara area of the city, said, “There is often no electricity even in the morning. In our area, electricity goes out after 10 pm and comes back after one to one and a half hours. Electricity goes out several times even late at night. It is quite difficult to sleep at night.”
Shahadat Hossain Sarkar, Chief Engineer (Acting) of Rangpur Region of NESCO, Power and Distribution Department, told Dhaka Post that the current demand in Rangpur division is 900 MW. We are getting 25-30 MW less electricity than the demand, that is, there is a shortage. Due to this, there is not much load shedding.
Rural Electricity Engineer Md. Rezaul Karim told Daily Industry that the current demand in Rangpur division is 600 MW. In contrast, the shortage is 15-20 MW. Compared to other regions, load shedding has not started in Rangpur yet. We advise everyone to be economical in using electricity in rural areas.
Power plants in energy crisis
A total of 88 percent of the power plants in the country are oil, gas and coal-based. However, currently, the production of 18 power plants is completely shut down due to the energy crisis. Of these, 10 are gas-based plants and 8 are oil-based plants. In addition, the production of 35 power plants out of 139 power plants has decreased. Of these, 9 are gas-based, 24 are oil-based and 2 are coal-fired plants.
The 18 power plants that are shut down are:
Gas-based: Ghorashal Repowered Unit 4, Ghorashal TPP Unit 5, Ghorashal 365 MW, Ghorashal 108 MW, Meghnatghat 335 MW, Siddhirganj 210 MW, Meghnaghat 583 MW, Jera Meghnaghat 718 MW, Baghabari 71 MW, Sirajganj 225 MW.
Oil-based: Gagnagar 102 MW, Meghnaghat 104 MW, Juldah 100 MW, Juldah 2 units 100 MW, Janglia 52 MW, Feni Lanka Power, Rupsha 105 MW, Natore 52 MW.
BPDB member (generation) Md. Zahurul Islam told Dhaka Post, “There is an impact on power generation due to the fuel crisis, but we hope that load shedding will not be large-scale. The production of gas and coal-based plants is being increased. However, the cost of oil-based production has increased due to the increase in the price of furnace oil, so for now, a certain amount of power is being generated from there.”
