‘Two more weeks of power crisis and everything will be normal’, junior power minister tells MPs

Nasrul Hamid shifts blame for the ongoing crisis onto a range of factors

Renewing his promise of improving the ongoing extreme power crisis in two weeks, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has asked the parliament to allocate an additional Tk 324.6 million for his ministry’s Energy and Mineral Resources Division in the supplementary budget of the outgoing fiscal year. 

Two days ago on Sunday, Nasrul pledged that the Power Division of his ministry is doing its best to bring the existing power crisis back to its previous state and promised that within two weeks, the people would experience a significant improvement in the power supply. 

According to data Nasrul presented in the parliament on Tuesday during a debate on the supplementary budget, Bangladesh is currently facing a daily deficit of up to 2,500 MW on average in power production. 

He also advised all Bangladeshis to “have patience” until the situation returns to normal. 

During his speech in the parliament, Nasrul shifted blame for the ongoing crisis on a range of factors- 

 - COVID-19 pandemic. 

 - The war in Ukraine. 

 - The dual effect of the pandemic and the subsequent war on energy prices. 

 - Tk 60 billion unpaid electricity bills by subscribers. 

 - Battery-powered auto-rickshaws, which according to Nasrul, are currently pulling at least 3,500 MW of electricity in a country, which is producing a maximum of 12,500 MW during daytime and 15,000 MW in the evening, the peak hours. 

 - The reduction of subsidies allocated in the energy sector altogether. 

“We could have adjusted the prices per unit of electricity at the retail level [to generate more revenue]. However, we didn’t do it; instead, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina [who also holds the portfolio of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources] advised that our priority should be to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of electricity to every household. Which is why I urge everyone to have patience,” he said. 

‘DELAY IN LCS FOR COAL IMPORT MAIN REASON FOR HALTING PAYRA PRODUCTION’ 

Apologising for the sufferings the fellow citizens have been enduring for the last couple of months due to constant power outages, especially in a summer which saw record-breaking temperatures, Nasrul admitted that the already lousy power production situation turned worse when the Payra coal-fired plant in Bangladesh’s largest power production facilities as of yet, had to shut down. 

“It [Payra] was shut down because we couldn’t open LCs [letters of credit] in time so that we could import coals to keep the plant running,” he said. 

Last month, a coal shortage halted electricity generation at one of two units of the country's largest plant. On Monday, the second unit of the 1,320 MW plant also shut down production around noon. 

As a result, the country's total power supply decreased by more than 600 MW, adding to the ongoing power cut woes around the country. 

The plant, equipped with ultra-supercritical technology, played a crucial role in controlling the situation by supplying more than 1,000 MW of electricity a day during the intense power crisis in the past few months. 

It requires 12,000 tonnes of coal daily to generate electricity at total capacity.

On Tuesday, Nasrul told the parliament that he believes that with the additions of power in the National Grid from the soon-to-be-opened plants and with Payra’s planned reopening of production within the next two weeks, the situation will improve extensively. 

“As soon as the newly commissioned power plants by SS Power [thermal power plant in Chattogram’s Banshkhali Upazila] and the other one in Moheskhali [in Cox’s Bazar], I believe things will improve. Moreover, we’ll be importing electricity from India,” he said. 

The SS Power Plant, owned by S Alam Group, has already begun supplying limited electricity capacity to the national grid on an experimental basis since May 24. 

The first unit, with a production capacity of 660 MW, can operate at total capacity depending on coal availability, while the second unit's commissioning is ongoing. 

According to the company data, SS Power Limited, the largest privately-owned coal-fired power plant, will supply 1224 MW of electricity to the national grid once commercial operations begin.

OPPOSITION DEPUTIES BLAST GOVERNMENT FOR POWER SITUATION 

During the debate on the supplementary budget, participating members of the opposition parties in the parliament categorically said they fear the ongoing power crises, which have been causing severe problems for the general people in Bangladesh, may spark anarchy. 

Shameem Haider Patwary, a Jatiya Party MP, told parliament he did not understand why the government delayed opening the LCs to import coals for the Payra plant in due time. 

“People paid their bills in time. Why didn’t you?” he questioned, pointing towards the Treasury bench of the parliament. 

Another Jatiya Party lawmaker, Rowshan Ara Mannan, wondered if the power situation would ever return to normal. 

“Don’t think the power situation will ever be normal again. Moreover, the existing gas reserves will be empty in the next ten years. What’ll happen then?” she said. 

Senior Jatiya Party MP Kazi Firoz Rashid blamed the lack of coordination among the ministries for the current crises. 

 “There is no coordination among the ministries. That’s why the coal and fuel could not be imported in time,” he said.