No significant government effort to save electricity this time

The government imposed restrictions on power use during the power crisis last year, but no such measures have been taken this time

The government imposed a raft of restrictions on power use when outages intensified last year. The crisis, fuelled by a shortage of coal and gas, is worse this year due to heightened demand amid heat, but no significant step has been taken to save electricity. 

Although power cuts have worsened, shopping malls stay open after 10pm or later. People are also lighting up buildings during celebrations. No instructions have been issued to stop government officials from wearing suits and keeping air-conditioners at a certain level. 

Several top officials at the Bangladesh Secretariat said no such steps have been discussed recently. 

One of the officials said the instructions issued last year are officially still in place, but none of them are being followed. Only schools have been closed for two days due to health concerns.

The government suspended the purchase of liquefied natural gas or LNG from the spot market in mid-2022 to save dollars as the foreign currency reserves kept dwindling while energy prices skyrocketed on the international market due to the Russia-Ukraine war. 

The decision to stop buying LNG heavily hit fuel supply to the gas-based power stations, which contribute to half the country’s electricity generation. The government also suspended operations at the power plants run by costly diesel.

Although Bangladesh resumed LNG purchases and signed a long-term supply deal with Qatar, a shortage of coal has ignited a power crisis again amid summer heat. 

As the dollar crisis has continued, Bangladesh failed to secure enough coal or gas to keep its key power plants running, leading to an average daily shortage of 3,000-3,500 MW and overshadowing the government’s achievements in the power sector.

The government has urged patience, saying the situation is expected to improve within two more weeks. 

Officials said the government was not thinking about restrictions on power use because it believed the efforts to reduce outages would start working soon. 

“No one has told us about new instructions to save electricity,” an official at the Cabinet Division said. 

Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain skirted a direct reply, saying: “The power and energy ministry is taking steps to end the power crisis.” 

Former secretary Abu Alam Md Shaheed Khan thinks the government is not talking about saving electricity because the situation is worse than last year. 

“Whom will you ask to save electricity? Villagers remain without power for hours. They will be furious if you ask them to save electricity. You might’ve asked people to save electricity if they got power for 20 hours a day,” he said. 

“This may be the reason behind the government’s silence on saving electricity. Instead, the government has focused on easing the crisis by importing coal and LNG and increasing production.”

LAST YEAR’S DECISIONS

The government made a series of decisions to save electricity in 2022. They included:

• Government officials could not wear suits and limit use of air-conditioners.

• Shopping malls and stores shuttered down by 8pm.

• No lighting for decoration was allowed, even for Eid.

• Government offices cut their fuel use by 20 percent. Officials must hold meetings virtually whenever possible.

• Rotating day-offs were launched for industrial areas.

• Work hours for government offices and banks were cut.

• Schools were closed for two days a week. This has continued.

WHERE’S THE PROBLEM?

The 153 power plants in Bangladesh have a combined capacity to generate 27,361 MW of electricity against a demand of around 16,000 MW.

The ongoing shortage of fuel has forced the authorities to shed a load of 3,000-3,500 MW.

Supply to the key point installations must remain uninterrupted while industries need power with disruptions at as low as possible. So, the residential users are bearing the burden of the crisis mostly.

Officials said 30 percent of the power plants are suffering due to a shortage of gas, coal and fuel oil. These power plants are producing 3,500 MW against a capacity of 9,000 MW.

Out of the five coal-fired power stations, the key one in Payra has been shut. Three of the four others are producing less electricity than the capacity due to the coal shortage. Rampal power plant was closed twice recently due to the coal crisis.

The 64 gas-based power plants are supplying around 8,000 MW against a capacity of 11,000 MW.

The other plants capable of producing 8,000 MW are supplying 6,000 MW.

Three of the eight diesel-run power plants are currently operational.

The 65 stations fuelled by furnace oil cannot produce electricity regularly due to a shortage of fuel.