power
Growing backlog in payments to independent producers a bottleneck in power sector
The growing backlog in payment obligation is emerging as a major problem in Bangladesh's power sector that may impede the growth of the sector.
According to official sources, the payment mode in Bangladesh Government's power purchase agreement (PPA) with the private sector has mainly been made in foreign currency, specially, the US dollar.
As per the existing arrangement, as a single payer the state-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) pays to the private power producers in local currency against its purchase of electricity.
Under the PPA, the private power producers are allowed to convert the payments into US dollars to meet their different kinds of payment obligations like bank loan, fuel and machinery imports and also paying foreign staff salaries.
If the investors are foreign companies, they can repatriate their profits in US dollars, said the officials of the BPDB.
They also noted that the BPDB always remains in constant contact with power producers, their banks and the central bank to smooth the foreign currency repatriation.
But following the dollar crisis in the country, official sources said in recent months, both the BPDB and the private power producers have been experiencing severe problems in getting dollars from their banks and also from the Bangladesh Bank.
Official sources said the BPDB has been struggling to keep up with its payments owed to the private power producers for more than a year.
Officials at the Power Division and BPDB said currently the total owed to the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) is $3.5 billion (equivalent to over Tk 35,000 crore) as of September 2023.
Read: Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant to receive fresh batch of uranium from Russia’s Rosatom at ‘Graduation Ceremony’ tomorrow
As per contract with the government, the IPPs are facing dual problems with their bills. First, they are not getting bills on time and secondly, they are getting partial bills, but not being able to convert the payment into foreign exchange due to the dollar crisis.
A top BPDB official admitted the problem to UNB, saying that they had reached an understanding with Bangladesh Bank under a mediation of the Finance Ministry that the central bank will provide on average $20 million every day to BPDB to cover its costs.
“But we’re not getting more than $10-15 million a day,” a top BPDB official told UNB on condition of anonymity as the issue is very sensitive and he is not allowed to speak on the issue.
He also said that if measures are not taken to contain the growing dues in the power sector it will further aggravate the problem.
Read: Japan provides $1500 million to implement Matarbari coal-fired power plant
Admitting about the payment backlog, Imran Karim, former president of Bangladesh Independent power Producers Association (BIPPA), said the government should take necessary measures to clear the dues in the power sector.
"Otherwise, it will accumulate the dues and create a major problem in the sector", he told UNB.
Energy experts said the country is heading for problems in the power sector and it would have a big impact on the overall economy pushing up inflation further.
Eminent energy expert and advisor to the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Prof M Shamsul Alam said the government has been put in such a major problem because of its wrong planning in the power sector.
He said that as a result of the wrong planning, the country is witnessing 50 percent surplus power in summer and 70 percent in winter, for which it is heading towards a disastrous situation.
“There will be a big indiscipline in the power sector as pressure for private sector’s capacity payment will continue to go up while import of primary fuel will be increasing. Finally, it will lead to energy insecurity,” he told UNB.
Read more: Cabinet purchase body approves proposals including 3 solar power plants in private sector
Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant to receive fresh batch of uranium from Russia’s Rosatom at ‘Graduation Ceremony’ tomorrow
Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) is going to officially receive a fresh batch of uranium from the Russian contractor, Rosatom, at a formal “Graduation Ceremony” on Thursday (tomorrow, October 05, 2023).
According to official sources, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin are expected to virtually join the historic ceremony to mark the occasion.
Sources said Director General of the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, Aleksey Likhachev, will hand over the fuel officially to the project authority in Rooppur project.
Science and Technology Minister Architect Yeafesh Osman will preside over the function while Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will join the ceremony through video conference.
Md. Ali Hossain, Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, said that all arrangements are ready for making the Graduation Ceremony a success.
“We have made all necessary arrangements to mark the historic moment,” he told UNB.
Earlier, the first batch of uranium, the nuclear fuel of the first unit of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, arrived in Bangladesh on September 28.
The consignment of uranium arrived in Dhaka from Russia through a special air cargo and it was moved to the nuclear power plant site by road under heavy security the next day.
The nuclear fuel was brought to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka by a special plane from a factory in Russia.
Read: First batch of uranium for RNPP reaches Rooppur amid tight security
The fuel was produced at the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant (NCCP) in Russia, a subsidiary of Rosatom's fuel manufacturing company Tevel.
Rosatom, as a Russian contractor, has been engaged in building the 2400 MW Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant with two units, each with the capacity of producing 1200 MW electricity.
The nuclear reactor of the first unit of the power plant was loaded in October 2021 while reactor for second unit was installed in October 2022.
The government conceived the idea of setting up the RNPP project in 2009 and signed a memorandum of understanding with the Russian Federation on May 13 in 2009 on the “Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.”
On January 15, 2013, an agreement regarding State Export Credit of US$ 500 million was signed for carrying out preparatory phase construction works of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
The government signed a US$12.65 billion general contract (GC) in 2015 with the Russian Federation for building the nuclear power plant in Rooppur.
Bangladesh signed a credit agreement with Russia to obtain $11.385 billion Russian credit for RNPP in July 2016. The credit covers 90 percent of the project cost.
Read: Support truss installed at Unit-2 reactor building of Rooppur RNPP
The Ministry of Science and Technology recently said that the first unit of the plant may come into operation in July 2024 and the second unit in July 2025.
However, Project Director of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Project Dr. M Shawkat Akbar said that the government is expecting to commission the first unit of the RNPP in September next year and second unit in mid of 2025.
Though the 1200 MW first unit of the nuclear power plant at Rooppur is expected to start production from next year, the Power Division and Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) are still in dark about the possible tariff of the electricity of the plant.
According to sources at the Power Division, the officials of the BPDP sat in a number of meetings with the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) to discuss a possible power tariff of the plant, but they failed to get a clear picture in this regard.
The BAEC has been implementing the RNPP project and the BPDB will purchase electricity from the Russian-aided plant under a long-term agreement.
A top official of the BPDB, however, said that they have made a primary calculation on the basis of the data derived from the discussions with BAEC and reports in the newspaper and tariff of per unit electricity of the RNPP will be not less than Tk 10.
According to some local experts' calculation the power tariff of the RNPP project will cross $0.08 -0.10 (8-10 US cents).
Read more: Key stage completed in manufacture of RNPP’s first reactor pressure vessel
One of the country's eminent power tariff experts, Mizanur Rahman, former Member of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC), said the electricity tariff from the nuclear power project will be more than over $0.085 (8.5 Cents).
Country may witness 70% surplus in electricity generation capacity this winter
More than two-thirds of the total power generation capacity will remain idle this coming winter, as more power is added to the national grid from the private sector pushing up the capacity payment obligation of the government of Bangladesh.
It comes at a time when already the government’s outstanding bills to the private sector power producers has ballooned out to $3.5 billion.
According to the Power Division’s official statistics, as of September 13, 2023, the country's power generation capacity was 27,834 MW including off-grid renewable and captive power, while the highest generated in a day was 15,648 MW.
Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) official data shows the country generated 14,021 MW on September 26, while covering the excess demand by resorting to load shedding of 113 MW.
It means half the power generation capacity remains utilised, while load shedding is also unavoidable.
Read: Japan provides $1500 million to implement Matarbari coal-fired power plant
According to power industry insiders, the surplus power situation will be getting worse in the coming winter with more electricity coming to the national grid from the private sector power plants in the next few months and installed generation capacity may cross 30,000 MW, increasing the surplus electricity to about 70 percent as demand usually dips during the season.
The expected boost to capacity includes 1,224 MW from S Alam Group’s power plant in Bashkhali of Chattagram (of which first unit of 620 MW already came to the grid), 718 MW electricity from Reliance Power LNG-based Plant in Meghnaghat, 590 MW from LNG-based GE-Summit Meghnaghat-2 power plant and 584 MW from LNG-based Unique Group’s power plant in Meghnaghat.
The sponsors of these plants are working hard to persuade the government to allow them to officially commission their plants as all of them are ready for operation. But due to shortage of gas they are not allowed to start operation.
Read: First shipment of uranium for Rooppur nuclear power plant arrives in country
In the meantime, more electricity from some of the recently completed power plants already came to the grid, including the second unit of the Adani Group’s 1,600 MW coal-fired power plant, and 620 MW from the second unit of Rampal Power Plant.
Last winter, the power generation came down to below 10,000 MW with the decreasing demand.
BPDB record shows the generation was recorded at 9,134 MW on December 31 in 2022. Experts believe the generation will remain below 10,000 MW in the coming winter as demand is not increasing at a faster pace.
Though 70 percent electricity will remain idle, the sponsors will get their payments in the form of capacity charges as per their contract with the government, said the BPDB officials.
Read: Climate change and the shift to cleaner energy push Southeast Asia to finally start sharing power
The government is already struggling to keep up with its payments owed to the private power producers.
Officials at the Power Division and BPDB said currently the total owed to the Independent Power Producers (IPPS) is $3.5 billion (equivalent to over Tk 35,000 crore) as of September 2023.
As per contract with the government, the IPPs are facing dual problems with their bills. First, they are not getting bills on time and secondly, they are getting partial bills, but not being able to convert the payment into foreign exchange due to the dollar crisis.
A top BPDB official admitted the problem to UNB, saying that they had reached an understanding with Bangladesh Bank under a mediation of the Finance Ministry that the central bank will provide on average $20 million every day to BPDB to cover its costs.
Read: Power Cell engages top US consultancy in move towards ‘Smart Grid’
“But we’re not getting more than $10-15 million a day,” a top BPDB official told UNB on condition of anonymity as the issue is very sensitive and he is not allowed to speak on the issue.
Energy experts said the country is heading for problems in the power sector and it would have a big impact on the overall economy pushing up inflation further.
Eminent energy expert and advisor to the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Prof M Shamsul Alam said that with the 50 percent surplus power in summer and 70 percent in winter, the country will be heading towards a disastrous situation.
Read: S Alam Group’s 1320 MW Banshkhali coal-fired power plant starts commercial operation
“There will be a big indiscipline in the power sector as pressure for private sector’s capacity payment will continue to go up while import of primary fuel will be increasing. Finally, it will lead to energy insecurity,” he told UNB.
In such a situation, he said, the only way-out is that the government has to admit first it has done a mistake by giving permission to the private sector for excessive power generation without consideration of the demand and then change the current policy and strategy.
Otherwise, the situation will be more difficult to manage as pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is coming to raise electricity tariff again. If so, it will further push up inflation, he added.
Radical change in power system network in Dhaka city and beyond expected by end 2024: Chinese official
A radical change will take place in the power system of Dhaka city and its adjacent Narayanganj after the full implementation of the project titled "Expansion and Strengthening of Power System Network" which will be the main foundation of digital Dhaka city, says a senior Chinese official.
"Over 70 percent work of the project has so far been completed," Director, International Market Management of TBEA's Ma told UNB.
He said the whole project will be completed and delivered to Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC) by the end of 2024.
Banshkhali-Meghnaghat 400 kV power transmission line comes into operation
Director Ma said TBEA is working under a US$1.65 billion project under which several subprojects are being implemented.
The project is the largest power cooperation project between the two governments of Bangladesh and China since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
The implementation of the project will enable the power grid system to be of better quality and serve the government departments and people of Bangladesh, and better promote the social and economic development of Bangladesh, said the Chinese side.
Shielding capital Dhaka from loadshedding masks reality of power cuts biting nation
TBEA, an international service provider of system solutions for global energy industry, dedicated to green and low-carbon development, with more than 24,000 employees from 24 countries, sees this project under the "Belt and Road Initiative" cooperation and development between China and Bangladesh.
Transformer installation work at Dhaka’s Rampura substation suspended
Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) has suspended the installation of a new 240/132 kV, 450 MVA transformer at Dhaka’s Rampura Grid Substation.
“As the work has been suspended, there is no scheduled power cut,” said PGCB public relations officer Badiuzzaman, adding that earlier there was a 7-day programme for installation of the transformer during which some areas in Dhaka could have experienced power disruption.
Power supply situation will improve in two weeks: Nasrul Hamid
He also said that this high voltage capacity transformer was to be installed replacing the existing one in order to improve the capacity of the grid substation.
Budget for FY2023-24: Tk 34,819 crore allocated for power and energy sector
The issue of suspension of the installation work was also confirmed by the Power Division through a press release. It said the works were suspended for unavoidable reasons.
Frequent power cuts amid heat wave multiplies people’s woes
The new schedule for the installation work will be informed later, it added.
BNP’s nationwide sit-in on June 8 to protest loadshedding
The BNP will hold an hour-long sit-in programme in front of all the district offices of the Power Division across the country on June 8 to protest the ongoing loadshedding and 'corruption' in the power sector.
Besides, the party will also submit a memorandum to the district power offices on the same day.
BNP's Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the programme on Tuesday at a press conference at the party's Nayapaltan central office.
Also Read: People suffer as severe load shedding continues countrywide
He said the programme was worked out at a meeting of their party’s standing committee, the highest policy-making body, on Monday night.
“A sit-in program will be observed from 11am to 12pm in front of the power office at the district headquarters on June 8 and a memorandum will be submitted there in protest against the unbearable loadshedding and massive corruption in the power sector,” the BNP leader said.
Also Read: Imagine if electricity generation capacity were still 3000 MW like in BNP-Jamaat govt period: Nasrul Hamid
He said people are going through unbearable suffering due to terrible power outages across the country. "In villages and towns, people get electricity for one or two hours in 24 hours. People are experiencing loadshedding for five-six hours during the day as well.”
The BNP leader also said power is also not available in the capital for more than 3/4 hours every day.
He alleged that the government looted thousands of crores of taka in the name of quick rental power projects and subsidies for the power sector. “Their (govt) fraudulence is now clearly exposed before the people through the rampant loadshedding.”
Also Read; Sylhet BNP expels 43 leaders for contesting city polls
“The Awami government has committed a criminal offence by creating scope for looting in the power sector. The indemnity law has been enacted to legitimize looting in the power sector. That is why those involved in these quick-rental projects should be arrested. They’re the biggest enemies of the people,” the BNP leader said.
He condemned the attack at on the peaceful road march programme of Ganatantra Mancha in Bogura.
Coal shortage forces Payra Power Plant to shut down operation
Payra Thermal Power Plant’s operations came to a complete halt at 12:05 pm today, with its second unit shutting down due to coal crisis.
The shutdown of the power plant worsened an already severe load shedding situation in Dhaka city and elsewhere, according to BPDB officials.
Earier, the other 660 MW unit of the power plant was closed on May 25.
BPDB officials said due to the shutdown of the second unit of Payra power plant, the country’s load shedding has increased to 2675 MW at 12 pm today, which was 2287 MW on Sunday.
It means the country had to experience 388 MW of added load shedding due to the closure of Payra power plant's operations, said an official of BPDB referring to the data of the National Load Despatch Centre (NLDC).
He said the country generated 12099 MW of electricity against a demand of 14900 at 12 pm today.
NLDC’s evening forecast shows that the country’s demand will go up to 15800 MW when generation is expected to be 14,400 MW.
Also Read: Coal shortage: Production at another unit of Payra power plant may suspend after June 2
However, officials said the country may experience more than 3500 MW of load shedding in the evening peak period
The 1,320 MW coal-fired power plant is expected to resume operations on July 1 as the process of importing coal has already started through the opening of LC, said Shah Abdul Hasib, superintendent engineer (operation) at the plant.
He said the shipment will arrive by June 25.
“After the shipment of coal arrives, we will be able to resume the plant’s operation by July 1,” he said.
He said opening LC takes some time due to the current global situation and dollar crisis.
Payra power plant needs to import 3 lakh metric tonnes of coal every month to operate the plant in full capacity.
Also Read: Operation of 1,320 MW coal-fired Payra power plant is likely to face closure over coal crisis
The power plant has to spend about US$ 5-6 million every month to import the required coal.
Payra power plant officials said the power plant is burning some 13,000 tonnes of coal a day. It has a 76.30-acre dumping zone where 25 years’ worth of by-products can be kept.
The plant is currently importing coal from Indonesia. It has its own jetty, whose conveyor belts can unload 3,200 tonnes of coal every hour from four vessels at a time.
After undergoing test runs for about five months, the first unit of the Payra power plant started commercial operation in May 2020. In October 2020, the second unit of the 660 MW plant, a joint venture of Bangladesh and China, started its commercial operation.
Coal shortage: Production at another unit of Payra power plant may suspend after June 2
Operation of another unit of 1,320 MW coal-fired Payra power plant is going to be suspended soon due to coal shortage, according to Bangladesh-China Power Company (Pvt.) Limited (BCPCL) officials.
The plant has two units each having 660 MW and the first unit of the two has already been shut following the coal crisis.
"Now the remaining unit may run until June 2", said Shah Abdul Moula, plant manager of the BCPCL.
BCPCL, a joint venture of the Chinese firm China National Machinery Import & Export Corporation (CMC) and Bangladeshi state-owned North-West Power Generation Company Bangladesh Limited (NWPGCL), is the owner and operator of the Payra power plant.
Read more: IPPs call for uniform import duty on primary fuels
The plant manager said that the plant is currently operating one unit having 660 MW while another 660 MW unit was closed last week.
Moula said that the overdue payment against the coal import actually created this critical situation.
The overdue amount now stands at more than $400 million.
"But recently we received a permission from Bangladesh Bank to pay $50 million to the coal supplier against the overdue", he said adding that this will help arrange to resume coal import.
Read more: Separate entity needed to deal with matters relating to coal: Energy experts
But still it will take about a month to receive the coal supply and we hope we may not get before June 28, said another official of the BCPCL.
According to official sources, the Payra power plant needs to import 3 lakh metric tonnes of coal every month to operate the plant in full swing.
They said the BCPCL normally opens LC through state-owned Sonali Bank to import the coal. But recently Sonali Bank regretted opening the LC due to the dollar crisis.
Admitting about the problems, the BCPCL officials said the authority has already communicated the issue to the Power Division to take necessary measures.
Read more: Committee to review existing deals on coal purchase for power generation
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on March 21 last year inaugurated the 1320 MW ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plant at Patuakhali's Payra on a day when she also declared the country's 100 percent electricity coverage.
This milestone achievement puts Bangladesh ahead of India and Pakistan among the South Asian nations to light up every house with electricity.
BCPCL set up the plant using Ultra Supercritical Technology at over $2 billion as part of a development partnership on 982.77 acres of land.
The Export-Import Bank of China lent $1.96 billion for the project. The company started operation in 2016.
Read more: Bashundhara Group wins bid to supply 8 million MT of coal to Rampal power plant
This kind of coal-fired power plant using Ultra Supercritical Technology is the thirteenth in the world and seventh in South Asia.
The Ultra Supercritical Technology used for this plant aims at protecting the environment in line with the government's policy, officials said.
After undergoing test runs for about five months, the first unit of the Payra power plant started commercial operation in May, 2020. In October, 2020, the second unit of the 660 MW plant, a joint venture of Bangladesh and China, started its commercial operation.
The Payra and another 1320 MW Rampal power plants have been implemented targeting the power evacuation from both the two plants and transmit power to Dhaka city and adjoining areas to meet growing power demand.
Read more: Illegal coal furnaces leave Khulna gasping for breath & answers
The Payra power plant is burning some 13,000 tonnes of coal a day. It has a 76.30 acre dumping zone where 25 years’ worth of by-product can be kept.
The plant is currently importing coal from Indonesia. It has its own jetty whose conveyor belts can unload 3,200 tonnes of coal every hour from four vessels at the same time.
Bangladesh's power generation capacity reached 25,514 MW from just 3200MW in 2009, according to the data.
Overhead transmission lines in Hatirjheel going underground as part of DPDC’s megaplan
Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd (DPDC) has finally started the work to lay underground cables that will replace the high voltage overhead transmission lines in Hatirjheel area.
“We’ve already laid 2.2km of 132 kilovolt (kV) underground cables, out of a total length of 3.5 km. We hope, by next year people will not see any overhead cables in Hatirjheel,” Bikash Dewan, managing director of DPDC, told UNB.
He informed that the cables are being laid underground through digging the roads in southern part of the Hatirjheel area and cables reach the Mogbazar through Rampura Bridge area.
The Hatirjheel Lake was artificially created in a vast area of Gulshan, Tejgaon and Rampura as part of the city's beautification and environmental protection plan. But the overhead cables were out of place with the plan.
Read more: Dhaka alone experiencing over 600 MW of load shedding during daytime
Removing overhead cables from Hatirjheel is a part of the DPDC’s larger plan to take all its overhead cables underground from different areas in the city’s central, west and southern parts.
The DPDC undertook a “Power Distribution System Upgrading Project” to improve its network and system in its command area in Dhaka city and signed a contract with the Chinese contractor TBEA in September in 2019 to implement the China-funded Tk 20,500 crore mega project.
DPDC officials said that earlier they completed the design of the project in which a total of 190 kms of overhead electricity cables will be removed and taken underground from different areas in the city.
Of these, about 115 kms are of 11 kV overhead lines, and 75 kms are 0.4 kV lines, they said, adding that all kinds of overhead electric cables will go underground and no cable will remain visible in a particular part of Dhanmondi area that includes Satmasjid Road, Mirpur Road, City College and Greenherald School area.
Read more: Coordination demanded in underground cabling of electricity, internet lines
Under the project, 40 substations will be set up in the city and cables in Dhanmondi residential areas will be laid underground.
Taking overhead cables underground from Jahangir Gate in Cantonment to Motijheel is also included in DPDC’s other similar project which was already completed.
“Of the areas, implementation work of the project in Dhanmondi area is in progress,” said Bikash Dewan, addingwork will be started gradually in many more areas.
DPDC officials said the equipment for the project has already arrived from abroad. Under the project in the Dhanmondi area, pole-mounted transformers are being replaced with box-type transformers.
Read more: Overhead electricity cables to go underground in major cities: Nasrul Hamid
Some 36 box-type transformers, 296 of 6-way ring main units (RMU), 34 of 3-way RMUs and 130 LV Cabinet will be installed to facilitate the underground cabling system, they informed.
They said the project was supposed to kick off in January 2020. But the Chinese engineers who were responsible for designing the works got stuck in their hometown Wuhan following the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.
Officials said most of the materials, equipment and system were brought to the country for the Dhanmondi pilot project.
Bikash Dewan said once the project is implemented, it will play a vital role in improving the power distribution system and substantially check the unexpected interruption in power supply.
Read more: DPDC blames delay in launching Dhanmondi underground cable project on DSCC, hails DNCC cooperation
Dhaka alone experiencing over 600 MW of load shedding during daytime
Dhaka has alone been experiencing more than 600 MW of load shedding during daytime when demand for electricity remains relatively low than nighttime.
According to official sources, like the previous few days the country has been seeing over 2000 MW of power shortage.
As a result, consumers across the country are facing power outages for 6 to 7 hours in different spells during the day.
Also Read: After record, country’s power generation again drops below 15,000 MW
“After the evening, the situation will be deteriorating with the increase in demand,” said a top official of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) preferring anonymity.
He attributed the gas shortage for the severe situation in power supply.
“Actually, we have been getting lower supply of gas that forced us to keep at least 25 generation units across the country shut,” he said.
Also Read: Load shedding in Sylhet: PDB engineer receives threat; GD filed
He, however, said that if the BPDB receives normal supply of gas, it can produce 6,500 MW of electricity from its gas-fired plants.
“But now we’re producing 4667 MW and about 1,833 MW of electricity is not available for gas shortage,” he noted.
Meanwhile, managing director Dhaka Electric Supply Company (Desco) Md. Kausar Ameer Ali said that the area under the organization was experiencing a load shedding of 308 MW in the daytime.
Read more: Gap between power generation, supply widening: Nationwide load shedding over 1500 MW
“The Desco is receiving about 800 MW against a demand of 1111 MW,” he told UNB.
Desco is entrusted with the responsibility to distribute electricity in Dhaka city’s north, north-west and eastern parts while Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC) is responsible for power supply in the south, southeast and central part of Dhaka city.
DPDC Managing director Bikash Dewan said that area under DPDC has been experiencing a shortage of about 340 MW which might be up after the evening.
Also Read:Load shedding in Sylhet: PDB engineer receives threat; GD filed
He said DPDC has been resorting to load shedding of more than 340 MW to manage a demand of more than 1600 MW as it has been receiving 1250 MW.
However, consumers are complaining that they have to experience a huge load shedding.
In some areas, people are allegedly experiencing power outages just in every alternative hour.
Also Read: Load shedding amid intense heat wave makes life miserable in Khulna
“Power cuts are frequent and we have been experiencing load shedding in every alternative hour,” said Abdus Selim, a resident in the city’s Niketan area.
The same experience was shared by Nazim Uddin who lives in Moghbazar area.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid on Sunday said that it will take two days to improve the power and gas supply situation in the country.
Also Read: Loadshedding becomes insufferable: Locals vandalise Palli Bidyut office in Feni
He said that after the suspension of gas supply from two floating LNG terminals, one terminal left its place for safe location while another one remained stationed at its own location.
The suspension caused a huge shortage in gas supply that triggered the current level of load shedding across the country.
“The current disruption in power and gas supply will improve as one of the two LNG terminals will resume supply within two days,” he told reporters at his office in the ministry.
Also Read: Record heat driving record power generation, even as loadshedding increases
“But I hope, gas supply will resume from one terminal within two days which will improve the situation with the supply of 400 mmcfd gas,” he said, adding that it will take 10-12 days to resume gas supply from the other LNG terminal.