Shortages in gas supply have led to reductions in power generation across the country, which has caused power outages of around 1,800 MW. Such massive power cuts are the most acute during the tenure of the present government, according to the Power Development Board (PDB). The power shortages have crippled city life. Water supply has been affected and elevators and lifts in commercial areas cannot be operated smoothly. The situation is even worse in rural areas.
The Kailashtila gas field is currently out of operation due to technical glitches, which has led to a reduction of some 55 million cubic feet of gas from the system, according to Petrobangla, the state-owned energy company. Petrobangla chairman Dr Hossain Monsur told The Independent that 12 to 15 days would be needed before gas production resumes from Kailashtila.
According to the PDB, during the tenure of the caretaker government, the production capacity of the PDB was around 4,000 MW against the demand of 5,800 MW. At that time, power cuts averaged around 2,000 MW.
The PDB has also cut half its production from the rental and quick rental power projects just to lower fuel costs, which has intensified the acute power crisis. The PDB needs around Tk. 38 crore to Tk. 40 crore to run the plants every day.
“Now we can see that there is no guarantee of gas, coal, furnace oil or diesel supplies. Yet the mushrooming growth of power plants, especially rental power, has increased the cost of power by around 25.5 per cent,” Prof. Samsul Alam of Consumers’ Association of Bangladesh (CAB) said. He pointed out that the sector is running on an ad hoc basis. “Petrobangla is rationing gas supplies, but how long will this work if we fail to ensure fuel supplies?” he asked.
“Because of the setback in Kailashtila, we are now producing around 5,200 MW to 5,400 MW of electricity from the gas-fired plants against a capacity of 6,100 MW to 6,400 MW. However, we have failed to produce around 1,400 MW of electricity as a result of gas shortages for the past one week,” a PDB official said.
However, the PDB’s daily chart showed that it failed to produce about 983 MW of electricity due to technical reasons. The PDB is now producing around 5,665 MW power against the country’s total demand for 6,750 MW.
PDB officials said all gas-fired power plants in greater Chittagong, a coal-fired plant at Barapukuria, a large diesel-fired plant at Khulna along with many small and medium-sized gas-fired power plants are currently inoperative as there are no gas supplies. “Of the total production, we have to supply around 1,500 MW to the key point installations (KPIs) across the country. We later distribute the same amount to the Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC), Dhaka Electricity Supply Company (DESCO), Rural Electrification Board (REB) and West Zone Power Distribution Company (WZPDCO),” a senior PDB official told The Independent, preferring anonymity. According to the DPDC and DESCO, they are getting 250-350 MW less than what is demanded. “We have to cut power supply as we do not have any other option,” a DPDC official said. The official said the city’s residents are experiencing power cuts three to four times a day. Such outages are even more massive in rural areas.
Saver Bazar and surrounding areas are getting gas supplies at a pressure level of 10-15 pound-force per square inch (PSI) against the required demand of 50 PSI. The situation in Narayanganj-Shiddhirganj is worse than Dhaka, according to the Gas Transmission Company Ltd.
-With The Independent input
