Power cuts have resurfaced in some areas despite a fall in demand during the winter

An analysis of PDB data shows that the Rampal coal-fired power plant generated 500-624 MW of electricity till December, but recently stopped operations due to a shortage of coal.

The six coal-fired power plants in the country can generate 2,602 MW of power, but five of them have reported a drop in production due to fuel-coal shortage.

The output in the 274 MW unit of the Barapukuria plant was fluctuating between 24 and 250 MW. The other two units can generate 85 MW of electricity.

The 307 MW coal based station at Barishal was lying idle due to shortage of coal.

PDB data shows that 22 out of 68 stations have reduced production due to gas shortage. Annual maintenance work of some power stations was going on.

In 2013, the government started importing electricity from India to ensure uninterrupted supply. Bangladesh receives 1000 MW of electricity from Baharampur in West Bengal via Bheramara in Kushtia, while another 160 MW enters Bangladesh via Kumila from Surjamani in Tripura.

PDB member SM Wajed Ali Sardar said that a 150 MW cut in supply due to a fault in a power station in India along with a drop in gas supply were the reasons behind it.

Officials of Dhaka distribution agencies DPDC and DESCO said the power supply has been less than the demand for the past one week. But even on some days supply and demand remained equal.

DPDC Managing Director Bikash Dewan said his distribution areas had to stop supply in some areas as they received 100 MW less power than the demand on Tuesday. “We have heard that things will return to normal within 2-3 days.”

Kausar Amir Ali, managing director of DESCO, said its customers faced power cuts on Monday due to a shortfall in supply of 50 MW. “It wasn’t like that today.”

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