The country, especially the rural areas, is experiencing frequent power cuts over the last couple of days due to insufficient electricity production from coal-based power plants, alongside the prolonged delay in increasing LNG regasification facilities.
According to the data of Power Grid Bangladesh PLC, the average generation shortage stood as high as 1,500 megawatts (MW) a day for the last week. The country has been producing around 13,500MW to 14,000MW daily, while the demand is over 15,000MW.
Shiuly Akhter, a resident of CO Bazar area in Rangpur, said frequent power cuts started there about a week ago after a three-week respite.
“The situation stays normal from midnight till 6:00am. Then the power goes out at one or two-hour intervals throughout the day,” she said, adding that it was unbearable amid the sweltering heat.
Ayesha Begum, a resident of Habiganj Sadar area, said the power cut happens every alternate hour for the entire day — meaning they stay without electricity for six hours during daytime.
It stabilises after 11:00pm. However, power cuts sometimes happen at midnight as well, she added.
Officials said they have been getting insufficient electricity from the coal-based power plants due to various technical issues, while gas shortage became a regular scenario.
At least 10,000MW of generation capacity has been sitting idle due to fuel shortage or maintenance — 6,100MW for fuel shortage and 3,800MW for maintenance. Compared to last month, idle power capacity due to fuel shortage has increased significantly.
Among the 6,100MW — at least 4,079MW are caused due to shortage in gas supply, according to data of Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB). The country has a total of 11,428MW installed capacity from gas sources.
The data shows that at least 25 gas-fired power plants remain closed due to gas shortage since May 27, when cyclone Remal hit the coastal areas. One of the country’s two floating storage and regasification units (FSRU) was damaged, reducing the LNG regasification capacity to 600 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) from 1,100 mmcfd.
The affected Summit-run FSRU was repaired later from abroad, but it is yet to start operations due to technical glitches in the subsea landing pad in Cox’s Bazar’s Moheshkhali area. It was supposed to be completed by July 15, as per the then-government announcement. But still the Summit Group said it will take more time.
Summit Corporation International in a statement told The Daily Star that it may take up to September to resume ship-to-ship transfer.
“Assuming favourable weather and sea conditions, Summit anticipates completing the repositioning and the reconnection of the DTM (Disconnectable Turret Mooring) plug by the end of August 2024 and for the ship-to-ship transfer to be ready in September 2024.”
Due to adverse weather conditions at sea and almost zero underwater visibility, the damage identified by the internationally licensed subsea diving team has posed significant obstacles to rectify the issue in July, Summit noted.
“We have contracted ‘Oriental Dragon’, a Diving Support Vessel (DSV) for a stronger and higher capacity crane to move the DTM, which is expected to reach Moheshkhali from Singapore on August 22,” it added.
Besides, the highest single power producer — 1,500MW Adani Power Plant, located in India’s Jharkhand, has shut one of two units due to fresh technical glitches, according to PDB officials.
Khandaker Mokammel Hossain, PDB member (generation), said Adani power plant was shut once due to a leak in a valve of the boiler circulating pump last month.
“It was repaired later and the production increased. But a new leakage was identified on August 13, leaving half of its unit shut,” he said.
Contacted, Adani Group shared a statement through a PR agency in Bangladesh, saying, “Adani Power supplied 769MW to Bangladesh today (yesterday) from an alternate unit, as one unit of the Adani Power plant had to be shut down on August 13 for a technical issue.”
“We regret any inconvenience caused by this technical fault. We are working hard to fix the issue at the earliest and restore the full capacity of power generation,” reads the statement.
Besides, Hossain said the Matarbari power plant, which was under trial run, but providing great support amid the gas shortage, has also stopped production recently. Also, one out of two units of Chattogram’s SS power plant is also under maintenance.
The PDB data shows that currently around 2,300MW — or one third of total coal power capacity of 6,604MW — remain idle.
The country’s total power generation capacity is 26,947MW.
