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2000MW loadshedding in summer

Gas shortage may jeopardise new power plants' operation

UNB, Dhaka
People's plight for power outages may go from bad to worse when the summer comes with lull heat and humidity as the country will experience 1500-2000 megawatts of loadshedding
This outlook of the already worsening power situation emerges from a yawning gap between a fast-growing electricity demand and a slow increase in power generation
At present, the country generates about 3.600MW electricity against a demand for over L700MW though' the demand is not officially recognised
Power ministry officials claimed the demand is to be about 4.350MW
The Power Development Board (PDB). however, said the demand would be growing faster with the hot summer starting from May-June.
From their previous experience, they said the demand would cross 5.500MW this year in the peak period of summer
But, because of no major power plants having been installed in the last one year since the assumption of office by the post-1 / 11 caretaker government, the power sector is going to experience its worst time in recent years, they said
In the past year, the government has signed deals to install a number of small power plants under different projects whose total capacity will be about 600MW.
But. none of the plants has so far come into operation.
Among the projects, deals were signed to install a total of 10 small power plants, having total capacity
of 200MW, 15 year term six rental power plants having capacity of 150MW and 3-year term another six rental power units having a total capacity of 2-14MW
But, of the plants, only the three-year rental plants are expected to be installed and come into production by the summer The test will come in to operation in next year.
As per schedule, the three-year-term six rental power plants will be installed and start operation by
mid May.
However, for lack of adequate gas supply, some of the projects still see uncertainty about timely production. Hie country is presently experiencing 100 million cubic feet (mmef) of gas shortage per day against a daily demand for 1,800 mmef.
Of (he six projects, three plants, each having 50MW capacity, are planned to be set up in the greater Sylhct area-at Kumargaon,
Fenchuganj and Shahjiba/ai One 40MW plant will be set up in Khulna, one 20MW plant in Bogra and one 34MWplant to be set up in Bhola
A senior official ol PDB told UNB that the private sponsors who were awarded the povvei projects are working to install their plants in time
“Some ot the sponsors have already brought their equipment in the Chittagong port, which are now ready for transpoitation to iheii installation sites." he said