Zarif Mahmud
Bangladesh is witnessing a sharp rise in load-shedding as gas shortages have forced gas-fired power plants to reduce generation, creating a widening gap between electricity supply and demand.
The country recorded its highest load-shedding of 3,757 megawatts at 1am on Sunday, while the shortage stood at 3,123MW around 5pm on Monday, according to officials.
Officials of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) said inadequate gas supplies to gas-fired power plants are the main reason behind the decline in electricity generation.
Power-sector officials said the country is currently generating around 12,000-12,300MW of electricity, with much of the generation coming from coal-fired and liquid-fuel-based plants.
A senior Power Division official said the government is treating the gas shortage as a priority issue. The Power Secretary has contacted the Petrobangla chairman and requested increased gas allocations for power plants, particularly those that can quickly add electricity to the national grid.
Gas supply far below power plants' demand: Bangladesh remains heavily dependent on natural gas for electricity generation, making the power sector particularly vulnerable to disruptions in gas supply. According to Petrobangla data, gas-fired power plants require around 2,525 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas, but current supply is only about 700mmcfd. More than 50 gas-fired power plants are reportedly completely shut due to gas shortages, while operating plants are running below capacity.
Petrobangla Director (Operations) Engineer Md Shoaib said the Power Division had been pressing for increased gas supplies. He said power plants received 716mmcfd of gas at around 6pm Monday, adding that the supply would gradually increase.
However, he cautioned that a substantial increase would not be possible unless gas supply from LNG terminals returns to normal. LNG disruption adds to pressure: The latest power crisis comes amid broader challenges in the country's energy supply system, including declining domestic gas production, dependence on imported LNG and uncertainty in international energy markets. Recent disruptions in LNG supplies and the shutdown of a floating LNG terminal caused significant gas shortages across several areas, affecting industries, power plants, CNG stations and households.
Energy-sector stakeholders told The Daily Industry that unless uncertainty surrounding LNG supplies and declining domestic gas production is addressed, similar disruptions could repeatedly hit the power sector.
Experts call for LNG imports and gas exploration: Energy expert Prof M Tamim said the country's biggest crisis at present is the energy shortage.
“The crisis cannot be overcome quickly. But to keep industries and existing industrial facilities operational, Bangladesh now needs to increase gas supplies through LNG imports,” he said.
Tamim also called for stronger efforts to explore domestic gas resources. Experts told The Daily Industry that the current crisis should not be treated merely as a temporary gas shortage. Bangladesh needs to reduce excessive dependence on gas in power generation while increasing domestic gas exploration, ensuring reliable LNG supplies and expanding fuel storage capacity.
They said increasing gas supplies to selected power plants may temporarily reduce load-shedding, but it will not provide a lasting solution unless the underlying problems in gas production, imports and supply infrastructure are addressed.
Industry faces double pressure: Industries and businesses are among the biggest victims of the rising load-shedding. Frequent power interruptions disrupt production, increase dependence on generators and raise operating costs. Small businesses, shops and service-sector enterprises are also affected.
The combination of gas shortages disrupting industrial production and reducing power generation is creating a double pressure on the economy. Experts told The Daily Industry that reliable energy supply is therefore no longer simply a power-sector issue; it has become critical to Bangladesh's overall economic stability and industrial competitiveness.
Long-term energy strategy needed: Officials said ensuring adequate gas supplies to power plants is the fastest way to reduce the current load-shedding. At the same time, experts called for a long-term strategy involving increased LNG imports, accelerated domestic gas exploration and greater use of alternative fuels for electricity generation. They said a lack of coordination between the power and energy sectors could allow problems in one sector to intensify weaknesses in another.
The latest situation demonstrates that link clearly, with gas shortages now directly putting pressure on electricity supplies. The 3,757MW load-shedding recorded early Sunday highlights the scale of the problem.
Experts told The Daily Industry that the immediate challenge for the government is to determine how quickly gas supplies can be increased and how soon the severe load-shedding situation can be brought under control.
