The Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) has projected the highest electricity demand during the summer months would be 18,000 megawatts (MW), while the highest production target is 17,260MW.
Nasrul Hamid, the state minister for power, yesterday asked Independent Power Producers to increase electricity generation by May 1.
Power generation not growing in line with forecasted spike in demand, leaving people staring at frequent and extended power cuts.
Power cuts are likely to increase in June as the dollar crisis, fuel shortage and maintenance work leave around 45 percent of the country’s power generation capacity unutilised at a time when the mercury is rising again.
Bangladesh loses around $3.3 billion a year due to unreliable power supply to homes, offices, and factories.
About one-third of the country’s total power generation capacity remains unutilised when people across the country are enduring mild and moderate heatwaves.
Profits of all power generation companies dropped in the July-March period of fiscal year 2022-23 and some of them even incurred huge losses mainly due to a huge depreciation of the value of the taka against the US dollar that ultimately increased their costs.
One of the two units of the coal-fired Rampal Power Plant has started supplying electricity to the national grid on a trial basis.
Although the coal consumption declined in Bangladesh last year, it is expected to increase sharply this year, the International Energy Agency said yesterday.
Uncertainty looms over the country’s fuel stock as the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation is finding it difficult to import fuel amid a dollar shortage at local banks.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (July 5, 2022) said that she is considering “area-based load shedding” for a specific period to save fuel used for power generation.
Bangladesh’s actual power generation crosses the milestone of 10,000-megawatt, as the government’s efforts to ensure electricity for all are bearing fruit.
Bangladesh signs its biggest ever contract worth $12.65 billion with a Russia’s state-run company to build the Rooppur nuclear power plant that would generate 2,400 megawatts of electricity.
US President Barack Obama is due to unveil what he called "the biggest, most important step we have ever taken" in tackling climate change.
