The country suffered a 570 mw power shortfall yesterday in addition to the normal loadshedding of 200 mw a day. due to the burst of a transformer of a gas turbine at Ashuganj power plant on Saturday.
According to officials of the Power Development Board (PDB). the total loadshedding during the peak hours till 1:00 pm yesterday was 770mw. Loadshedding was reduced to 430 mw after 8:00 pm.
A power shortfall of around 230 mw, in addition to the normal loadshedding of 200 mw, may continue for the next three days, the officials said.
Meanwhile, the record loadshedding severely disrupted normal fife and economic ac-
tivfties, and increased the sufferings of the people across the country for the second day yesterday.
Shortage of water supply mainly caused by power disruption has added to the suffering of the people.
Mills and factories met with a serious setback while normal work in offices was hampered due to the power disruption. The situation appeared worst in hospitals and clinics.
The chairman of DESA talking to The Daily Star last night said that they had received 567 mw electricity from the PDB. According to him it was at least 233 mw less than the demand.
The crisis is being managed through areawise loadshedding, he added.
The transformer burst at Ashuganj station which led to closure of the national grid caused the additional power shortfall, officials pointed out. The incident also had a 'cascading effect' at Ghorashal power station, resulting in stoppage of power supply through the eastwest inter-connector.
Immediately before the burst of transformer, power generation at Ashuganj plant was recorded at 530 mw and that at Ghorashal plant at 630 mw.
According to official sources, power generation at Ashuganj was restored to 340 mw on Saturday night, and by 1:00 pm on Sunday, it rose to 480 mw.
Ghorashal plant whiclj wasgenerating 630 mw electricity a day before Saturday's incident, generated 250 mw on Saturday night. It rose to 450 mw at 8:00 pm^ast night, the sources
The transformer of a 50 mw generating gas turbine which burst on Saturday would take another four days to be repaired. There are two gas turbines at Ashuganj plant which used to generate 100 mw electricity.
The machinery of the 15-year old gas turbine, the transformer of which burst, was in operation on trial basis for about a month, officials said adding that the machinery was rehabilitated recently.
Out of the five steam turbines at Ashuganj plant, two were under repair. Of the two, one is likely to become operational soon and other in June, officials added. The three steam turbines used to generate 430 mw electricity before the transformer burst.