Consumers feel the pinch as power outage rises

Gas-supply shortage has forced the power plants to cut generation substantially, prompting the electricity-distribution companies to go for countrywide load-shedding at an increased rate.
According to data from the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), the country had to resort to 1,500 MW of load-shedding on Sunday while there was a forecast for a power-cut of 1,273 MW, reports UNB.
"But obviously, the authorities have to go for a load-shedding of more than the projected amount," said a top official at the BPDB, who preferred anonymity.
The official data shows the country's highest power generation was recorded at 12,115 MW on Sunday evening against a demand for 13,615 MW, meaning a 1,500 MW gap between the peak demand and supply.
"This gap is being covered up by load-shedding," said the BPDB official.
In a normal situation, the power generation varies between 1,300MW and 1,400 MW, and the highest generation was recorded at 14,782MW on April 16 this year.
According to BPDB official data, of the 1500 MW load-shedding on Sunday, Dhaka region experienced 400MW while Chattogram 200MW, Khulna 220MW, Rajshahi 220MW, Cumilla 140MW, Mymensingh 120MW, Sylhet 50MW and Rangpur regions 150MW.
However, many energy experts don't trust the BPDB statistics. Rather they believe that the extent of the load-shedding and interruption in power supply would be more than the official figures.
"The BPDB never provides an actual figure of its power supply scenario," said energy expert and Consumers Association of Bangladesh's senior vice chairman Prof M Shamsul Alam.
Meanwhile, many consumers in the capital Dhaka and elsewhere reported a huge load-shedding and frequent interruption in power supply.
Habibure Rahman, a consumer of Uttara area in the city, informed that he had to regularly experience load-shedding in three to four spells a day and every time a power-cut continues for more than half an hour.
Similar experiences were shared by consumers in other areas in the city like Malibagh, Mouchak, Nakhalpara, Shantinagar, Mogbazar, Niketon, Gulshan, Mohammadpur, Mirpur, Sutrapur, Jatrabari and Badda.
They said the incidents of such load-shedding and interruptions in power supply have been increasing in recent days.
BPDB officials attributed the fall in power generation to the shortage in gas supply. They said they had to suspend 3,650MW of electricity generation due to shortage in gas supply to their power plants.
Recently, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid admitted the crisis in power and gas supplies.
In his verified facebook page, he wrote: "Power production is being disrupted due shortage of gas. As a result, power supply is being disrupted in many places. The power generation generally will be normal once the gas supply improves."
He also explained that the price hike of energy in the international market due to the war has put us in trouble like other countries. "In such a situation, I regret the temporary inconvenience."
Officials at the state-owned Petrobangla noted that the country's gas production and supply declined following the government's decision not to import liquefied natural gas from the international spot market due to excessive price hike.
LNG is being sold on the global market for over US$ 35 per MMBtu while a few months back, it was below $ 25.
As a result, the local gas supply has declined to 2,822 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) from a regular supply of 3,500 mmcfd, creating a shortage of about 700 mmcfd.