Load shedding to worsen in coming irrigation season

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FE Report
The country is set to undergo load shedding of electricity between 300 megawatts (MW) and 650 MW daily in the coming irrigation season starting from mid-January next.
"Electricity demand will increase by around 1,000 MW each day for running irrigation pumps during the season," Energy and Power Adviser Tapan Chowdhury told the newsmen Sunday explaining the cause of the load shedding.
Some 250,000 electricity-powered irrigation pumps will be in operation during the coming irrigation season, which is 11 per cent higher compared to that of the previous year, the adviser said speaking at a press conference in the DESA building.
The state-owned Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Ltd (PGCB) will prepare a schedule for the countrywide load shedding after consultation with the Power Cell.
The load shedding schedule will be circulated across the country through the electronic and print media, the energy and power adviser said.
A central committee, headed by Member (distribution) of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB), will be constituted to monitor the load shedding and ensure its proper management across the country.
To meet the enhanced electricity demand during the irrigation season both the units of the 250MW Barapukuria coal-fired power plant will be made operational, Tapan Chowdhury said.
He said apart from the current reserve of 70,000 tonnes of coal, the Barapukuria coalmine will resume production from January 8 next to keep the Barapukuria coal-fired power plant operational.
"The Power Division will be able to generate around 3,600 MW - 3,800 MW of electricity daily during the irrigation season," Power Division Secretary M Fouzul Kabir Khan said.
The caretaker government could so far initiate additional 105 MW of electricity, 70 MW from the Rural Power Company Ltd (RPCL) and 35 MW from Summit Power Ltd, he said.
Besides, Ghorashal Power plant will supply an additional 45 MW of electricity and Fenchuganj power plant 35 MW to the national grid shortly, Khan said.
He, however, said the Power Division will shut down 450 MW Meghnaghhat power plant for one month and 350 MW Haripur Power Plant for 15 days for overhauling during the irrigation season.
The government is implementing the recommendations of the fact-finding committee of the national power grid step-by-step.
As per the recommendation, an officer with a status not less than a manager will be the shift-in-charge of the central load dispatch centre to avoid national power grid failure in future.
To implement the long-term and investment-oriented recommendations, the Power Division will appoint a consultant to recommend investments required and technological advancement.
A separate project will be taken up and implemented subsequently in this connection, power division secretary said.
Senior Power Division officials and top executives of the state-owned power entities were present at the press conference.