Energy crisis beyond tolerable level; 3,000MW deficit today: Power Division

Bangladesh's energy crisis has reached a "beyond tolerable level", as the country struggles to meet rising electricity demand amid supply disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict, according to the Power Division.

At a press conference held at the Secretariat today (23 April), Umme Rehana, joint secretary (Planning-1) of the Power Division, said the situation has worsened this summer due to increased demand and constraints in energy supply.

"We usually face load shedding crisis in summer, but this year load shedding crisis is a bit higher because of the Middle-East war and closure of the Strait of Hormuz," she said.

"Today the projected power demand is almost 17,000MW, but due to the energy crisis, we can generate around 14,000MW of electricity and the generation deficit is almost 3,000MW," she said, adding, "Middle-East crisis trapped us in a difficult situation like load shedding."

Rehana also noted that due to raise of power consumption, temperature and constant use of air-conditioners and other electronic equipment, total power demand increased a lot.

"But the Middle East war pushed us into a severe energy crisis, and it reached beyond a tolerable level," she added.

Providing recent data, Rehana said, yesterday electricity demand stood at 15,767MW while generation was limited to 13,681MW.

"We have massive generation capacity but because of a shortage of gas and other energy, we can't produce power as per demand," she added.

Mentioning that gas-fired power plants, which account for 43% of total generation capacity (12,154MW), are operating far below capacity due to inadequate gas supply, she said, "To run these plants at full capacity, about 2,000 mmcfd of gas is required, but supply remains between 850 and 900 mmcfd."

Yesterday, only 5,270MW of electricity was generated from gas-based plants, she mentioned.

The official also pointed to disruptions in coal-based power generation. Technical issues at the Adani power plant and reduced output from the 1,320MW SS Power plant have contributed to the shortfall. In addition, one unit of the 1,320MW RNPL plant remains offline due to coal shortages.

Rehana said the situation is expected to improve gradually. The Adani issue may be resolved by 26 April, while the SS Power plant is likely to restore full capacity by 28 April.

Combined, these plants could add around 1,350MW to the grid by the end of April, she added.

The official also mentioned that the coal-fired plants currently operating below capacity are expected to ramp up production, potentially adding another 1,982MW by the first week of May, which could ease the load-shedding situation.