Govt plans 15% cut in power consumption to tackle summer load
A letter, signed by Power Secretary Farzana Momtaz, was already issued to all deputy commissioners and heads of various organisations across the country
With summer approaching and the country's electricity demand expected to double from the winter's 9,000MW, the government plans to reduce consumption by 15% from households, industries, and irrigation.
To achieve this goal, the Power Division has developed an action plan with key strategies such as promoting energy-efficient bulbs, fans, and home appliances, setting ACs to 25°C or higher, encouraging solar irrigation, optimising boiler efficiency in industries, and shifting to furnace oil.
A letter, signed by Power Secretary Farzana Momtaz, was already issued to all deputy commissioners and heads of various organisations across the country.
In the letter, seen by TBS, Secretary Farzana said the government is diligently working towards ensuring an integrated system of power production, transmission, and distribution to meet the growing demand and uninterrupted electricity at affordable prices.
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The increasing demand during Ramadan, summer, and irrigation seasons puts additional strain on supply, and the solution is promoting conscious and economical electricity use, she said.
To implement this plan, it is necessary to create awareness among consumers by local administrations, educational institutions, religious establishments, business associations, industries, and social organisations, the secretary said, adding that: "Saving 1 unit of electricity is equivalent to producing 2.5 to 3 units."
Key strategies for consumers to save electricity
The action plan recommended average consumers to use energy-efficient bulbs and fans and adjust wattage based on room size, regularly clean dust from light bulbs, rearrange furniture to maximise natural daylight usage, purchase energy savings appliances (TVs, ovens, washing machines, and blenders), turn off computers, laptops, printers, and scanners when not in use and replace old refrigerators with inverter technology-based energy-efficient models.
The plan also advises reducing the use of geysers and encourages water-saving practices in households so that water pumps, used to lift water from bottom tanks to roof tanks, are less used. It also recommends minimising the use of electric irons.
For air conditioning, the plan suggests setting the temperature to 25°C or higher. It mentions that increasing the AC temperature by 1°C can result in a 10% reduction in electricity usage.
It also suggests avoiding continuous, long-term use of ACs and using fans along with ACs to save energy.
Industrial sector measures
For the industrial sector, the action plan recommends using peak and off-peak meters, improving furnace oil efficiency in steel and re-rolling mills, and encouraging co-generation of power.
It also advises implementing star-leveling for electrical appliances, improving boiler efficiency, conducting regular energy audits, and adjusting machinery usage accordingly.
Measures for irrigation efficiency
In the irrigation sector, the plan suggests running irrigation pumps during off-peak hours (from 11pm to 7am) to minimise electricity consumption and advises turning off pumps when not necessary.
Additionally, the plan promotes using wet and dry irrigation techniques and solar-powered irrigation equipment.
Businessmen welcome move
Asif Ibrahim, former president of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and vice chairman of NewAge Group, told TBS that efforts to promote energy savings are always positive.
No business wants to incur unnecessary costs. However, the government's current plan, especially regarding co-generation, will require new technologies and investment. Additionally, investments will be needed to increase furnace oil usage and improve boiler efficiency, which would raise operational costs for businesses, he said.
In addition, if the government facilitates easy and low-interest financing for industries to implement these energy-saving measures, both parties will benefit, Asif Ibrahim added.
Summer electricity demand to double
On 17 February, during a session of the Deputy Commissioners' conference, Power and Energy Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan said electricity demand rises from 9,000MW in winter to 17,000-18,000MW in summer, primarily due to 2,000MW for irrigation and 5,000-6,000MW for ACs.
Urging citizens to set ACs to 25 degrees Celsius or higher during the summer months, Fouzul Kabir said keeping ACs at 25 degrees could save 2,000-3,000MW.
Load shedding looms
Experts predict the country may not be able to meet electricity demand during the upcoming summer season.
On 5 February, an inter-ministerial meeting was held at the Power Development Board office regarding electricity and fuel supply.
Following the meeting, Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan indicated that the country could face up to 1,400MW of load shedding during the upcoming summer due to the gap between demand and production.
According to Power Division officials, there was a shortfall of 2,000-3,000MW last year during extreme heat. The production capacity is above the demand, but full capacity cannot be utilised due to fuel constraints. Gas-based plants, which have the highest production capacity, can generate up to 12,413MW, but insufficient LNG imports hinder the supply.
Fuel shortages
Currently, 900 million cubic feet of gas is supplied for electricity production, which will increase to 1,200 million cubic feet during Ramadan and 1,100 million cubic feet from April to September.
However, the country's daily gas demand of 3,800-4,000 million cubic feet is not met, with only 2,800-3,000 million cubic feet supplied.
On 25 February, 2,694 million cubic feet was supplied, with 829 million cubic feet for power generation, according to Petrobangla.
Import issues
Coal and furnace oil-based plants also struggle to meet full production due to challenges in importing the required fuels, compounded by the difficulty in ensuring the necessary foreign currency.
Additionally, power imports from neighboring countries are inconsistent, as the Adani Group and Tripura authorities have not fully honored agreements, and Bangladesh still owes them payments for electricity.
