Load shedding started in rural areas of Bangladesh before the summer season

According to sources from the Power Department, Power Development Board (PDB), and Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB), the country's power generation capacity is approximately 26,000 megawatts. On Monday, the peak demand reached 12,400 megawatts at 3:00 pm. During that period, there was a shortage of 757 MW in the power supply, which had to be addressed by implementing load shedding. 

Last Sunday, the country experienced a maximum load shedding of 1000 megawatts at eight o'clock, even though it was a holiday.

Desco and DPDC have stated that there is currently no load shedding in Dhaka despite the power shortage. Unfortunately, certain areas are currently experiencing power outages due to technical issues. PDB, Nesco, and Ojopadico power supply companies have confirmed no load shedding in urban areas outside Dhaka.

There is a significant issue of load shedding in the village, with power outages lasting 10 hours.

According to reliable sources from the Rural Electrification Board (REB), which is responsible for providing electricity to rural areas, there needs to be a greater demand for and availability of electricity. Yesterday, the electricity supply decreased by approximately 800 megawatts per hour. 

Mymensingh division has the most significant deficit. Load shedding has significantly increased in Mymensingh, Netrakona, Jamalpur, and Sherpur. There are reports of load shedding occurring in different locations across Tangail, Pirojpur, and Comilla.

There is a discrepancy between the official data on load shedding and the actual situation on the ground. Despite the lack of uninterrupted power service, there is still a need to pay for additional generation capacity. The price is increasing gradually due to the lack of consistent electricity supply.

Khandkar Mokammel Hossain, a PDB Member (Production), informed Prothom Alo that the current gas supply cannot meet the demand. Consequently, power generation from gas-based plants is on the decline, creating a deficit. Nevertheless, significant efforts are underway to enhance power generation. He remains optimistic that the situation will improve shortly.

The daily gas demand in the power sector amounts to 232 million cubic feet. During the summer, PDB has requested a minimum of 150 million cubic feet of supply. Currently, a staggering 88 crore cubic feet is being supplied. 

Consequently, over 50% of the gas-based power generation capacity must be maintained. Yesterday, gas production reached a maximum of 1.5 thousand megawatts of electricity. 

An imported supply terminal was shut down due to liquefied natural gas (LNG) conversion. Due to certain factors, petrol imports have declined. The terminal is projected to be fully operational by the end of March.

There is a significant deficit in the Mymensingh division. Load shedding has significantly increased in Mymensingh, Netrakona, Jamalpur, and Sherpur. It is also affecting multiple areas in Tangail, Pirojpur, and Comilla.

The power generation capacity of the oil-based plant is approximately 7,000 megawatts. Only a meagre amount of 1000 megawatts of electricity is generated daily. During nighttime, oil-based plants create a maximum of 2500 megawatts of electricity.

Despite the significant increase in power generation, there continues to be a high incidence of load shedding in rural areas.

According to Indrajit Debnath, the Executive Engineer of Mymensingh Electricity Sales and Marketing Center-1, Mymensingh district administration's recent monthly coordination meeting addressed the rising load shedding, which has been attributed to the increasing heat.

The issue of load shedding has had a severe impact on agricultural production and farm management.

Unfortunately, electricity prices are on the rise. In the past year, there were three separate instances where the cost of electricity saw a 5 percent increase. There was an average increase of 8.5 percent in February of this year.