Shopping centres to shut down by 8.0pm
Friday, 1 May 2009
FE Report
All commercial complexes, shopping malls and shops will be directed by the government to close down by 8.0 pm everyday to properly manage the nagging electricity shortfall throughout the country, State Minister for power Shamsul Haq Tuku said Thursday.
Currently some of these business establishments are keeping their outlets open until 10 pm and consuming scarce electricity.
Talking to the newsmen Thursday the minister said that the electricity supply situation across the country has improved recently following closure of some fertiliser factories and diverting the power for more productive use.
He said the countrywide electricity generation reached over 4,000 megawatts (mw) Thursday as the Rauzan 360-megawatt (mw) power plant in Chittagong, which was closed for long due to gas shortage, started generating around 320 mw from Thursday.
Around 50 million cubic feet of gas per day (mmcfd), which was earlier being supplied to the Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Ltd (CUFL), has been diverted to the power plants including that of Rauzan to ensure smooth electricity generation.
Two more fertiliser factories - Urea Fertiliser Factory Ltd (UFFL) and Polash Urea Fertiliser Factory (PUFF) - were also closed aimed at augmenting electricity generation across the country.
Some 50 mmcfd more gas are being supplied to the power plants after closure of these two fertilizer factories.
The minister hoped that the electricity supply situation in the capital would improve significantly within next 15 days after completion of irrigation across the country.
The power minister, however, was aggrieved over what he said wastage of electricity in the compressed natural gas (CNG) filling stations.
The CNG filling stations should carry out austerity measures in electricity usage and reduce their consumption at least by 20 per cent, he added.
The power plants Thursday consumed the highest ever 783mmcfd of gas Thursday.
According to Power Development Board (PDB) electricity generation of around 500mw were hampered Thursday only due to gas crisis.
All commercial complexes, shopping malls and shops will be directed by the government to close down by 8.0 pm everyday to properly manage the nagging electricity shortfall throughout the country, State Minister for power Shamsul Haq Tuku said Thursday.
Currently some of these business establishments are keeping their outlets open until 10 pm and consuming scarce electricity.
Talking to the newsmen Thursday the minister said that the electricity supply situation across the country has improved recently following closure of some fertiliser factories and diverting the power for more productive use.
He said the countrywide electricity generation reached over 4,000 megawatts (mw) Thursday as the Rauzan 360-megawatt (mw) power plant in Chittagong, which was closed for long due to gas shortage, started generating around 320 mw from Thursday.
Around 50 million cubic feet of gas per day (mmcfd), which was earlier being supplied to the Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Ltd (CUFL), has been diverted to the power plants including that of Rauzan to ensure smooth electricity generation.
Two more fertiliser factories - Urea Fertiliser Factory Ltd (UFFL) and Polash Urea Fertiliser Factory (PUFF) - were also closed aimed at augmenting electricity generation across the country.
Some 50 mmcfd more gas are being supplied to the power plants after closure of these two fertilizer factories.
The minister hoped that the electricity supply situation in the capital would improve significantly within next 15 days after completion of irrigation across the country.
The power minister, however, was aggrieved over what he said wastage of electricity in the compressed natural gas (CNG) filling stations.
The CNG filling stations should carry out austerity measures in electricity usage and reduce their consumption at least by 20 per cent, he added.
The power plants Thursday consumed the highest ever 783mmcfd of gas Thursday.
According to Power Development Board (PDB) electricity generation of around 500mw were hampered Thursday only due to gas crisis.