Country's power, energy sectors show dismal performance in '07
Saturday, 29 December 2007
The country's power and energy sectors showed the poorest performance in 2007, as there was no breakthrough to deal with the nagging crises in these two vital fields, reports UNB.
The power sector experienced the worst disasters like countrywide blackout twice a month, while the regular load shedding of more than 1,500-MW was a regular phenomenon almost throughout the outgoing year.
Both the blackouts continued for hours, and in many areas it took several days to restore normal electricity supply. However, the country's power generation had reached a record 4,200-MW, but it sustained only for a few hours.
The Caretaker Government had also imposed a ban on electricity consumption by shopping malls and industrial units after evening as part of its power-saving plan to tackle the situation.
This was for the first time that the shop-owners had to keep their shutters down after 8pm to comply with the government's strict directive. Similarly, many industries like steel-mills and garment factories had to be shutdown during the peak hours of the day as part of the government's load management plan.
This year the country virtually failed to have any increased power production, as the generation remained at between 3,400-MW and 3,600-MW that was quite usual in 2006.
Besides, no new power plant came into commercial production although a number of projects like 90-MW Fenchuganj, 10 small power plants, six rental power plants, were supposed to be commissioned by 2007.
PDB Chairman Shawkat Ali admitted the facts, and said, there were many reasons behind this failure. "Actually, there were a number of reasons behind the failure of the under-construction plants to start commercial operation as per schedule," he said.
Like the power sector, the energy sector too showed a very dismal performance, as there was no major breakthrough in the sector.
The Caretaker Government got a ready new gas-filed project, the Bibiyana gas-field, developed by a US-based oil company, Chevron. It was commissioned in the first month of the new government. But the whole project was developed during the previous government.
The power sector experienced the worst disasters like countrywide blackout twice a month, while the regular load shedding of more than 1,500-MW was a regular phenomenon almost throughout the outgoing year.
Both the blackouts continued for hours, and in many areas it took several days to restore normal electricity supply. However, the country's power generation had reached a record 4,200-MW, but it sustained only for a few hours.
The Caretaker Government had also imposed a ban on electricity consumption by shopping malls and industrial units after evening as part of its power-saving plan to tackle the situation.
This was for the first time that the shop-owners had to keep their shutters down after 8pm to comply with the government's strict directive. Similarly, many industries like steel-mills and garment factories had to be shutdown during the peak hours of the day as part of the government's load management plan.
This year the country virtually failed to have any increased power production, as the generation remained at between 3,400-MW and 3,600-MW that was quite usual in 2006.
Besides, no new power plant came into commercial production although a number of projects like 90-MW Fenchuganj, 10 small power plants, six rental power plants, were supposed to be commissioned by 2007.
PDB Chairman Shawkat Ali admitted the facts, and said, there were many reasons behind this failure. "Actually, there were a number of reasons behind the failure of the under-construction plants to start commercial operation as per schedule," he said.
Like the power sector, the energy sector too showed a very dismal performance, as there was no major breakthrough in the sector.
The Caretaker Government got a ready new gas-filed project, the Bibiyana gas-field, developed by a US-based oil company, Chevron. It was commissioned in the first month of the new government. But the whole project was developed during the previous government.