Whither zero load shedding?
Thursday, 10 December 2009
Enayet Rasul Bhuiyan
The country is now in the winter season and load shedding is expectedto be suspended as requirement of power drops significantly at this time of the year from not running air conditioners, fans, etc. But the relevant ministry informed recently that the country would experience notable load shedding this year even during the winter months as power would be diverted to rural areas to run irrigation pumps to grow Boro crops. This is unprecedented.
Why cannot this irrigation be done without load shedding as power demand on the whole has decreased with the arrival of winter ? Are we to conclude that power production and supply has only turned worse-- instead of becoming better-- inconsistent with the otherwise confidence raising statements from the potentates of the government from time to time ?
A media report was noted recently that the government's plan for installation of some major power plants to generate some 530 mw of power in total ahead of the next summer season-- when power's demands would rise-- has hit snags and would very likely miss the scheduled timeframe for implementation. The work order for the establishment of these plants was to be completed through evaluation and tender bids and related matters by the end of November to pave the way for these plants to come on stream by the projected dates.
But the tendering process has allegedly been upset from arm twisting of powerful quarters and inclusion of inexperienced firms. The bids now number 63 against only 8 plants and the final selection in time was held up from the need to evaluate so many bids. Besides, some of the lowest bidders are inexperienced ones and the authorities are now in utter indecision about whether to accept some of these lowest bidders as per rule and under pressure of interest groups only to risk the fate of these projects. Clearly from such muddling, real progress in producing enough power to meet the power needs of the country's power starved private sector, cannot be expected.
One year or the time span this government has been in power is not a long time. Power projects take time to be conceived and finally set up after overcoming cumbersome preparatory procedures, mobilsation of funds, exhausting the tendering processes and other related needs. The long suffering people of Bangladesh would certainly bear with the government and give it time if they could be convinced that this government had gone to work from day one in its tenure considering the pressing need to augment power supply for the sake of the economy. If they had really done that, then substantial power generation would not be added to the power grid by now. But at least assurances would be created that the power related agonies would be notably less in the coming summer season with progressive improvements in the power supply situation to occur further down in the year. Besides, all sorts of investors would find an inspiration from such developments to come forward and materialize their investment plans on the basis of credible signals that government remained bent on increasing power supply as it had projected on taking over charge. But all of these positive developments would now be negated from the latest outlook of no change in the power sector.
According to media reports, government is now in very active stages of implementing policies to bring some 500 mw of power from India. If this power import could be made in a very short period of time, the same would make some sense. But after completing at least two years in establishing infrastructures on both countries and then getting the power, the same must raise many questions. Why Bangladesh has to go for such cumbersome and delaying process to import power and make itself dependent on external power supply when it had never done so and when all countries usually consider self-reliance in power as basic to their security in all respects?
The issues at stake could be compromised if urgent import of the very badly needed power could be assured through such an arrangement. When this would not be the case, then why this scramble for importing power from a neighbour? It should be cost efficient as well as strategically sound to produce that power within the country through its own resources and means. The same is possible through establishing rental power plants, through a crash programme to import LNG and after its gasification to run the already available power stations in the country that remain shut from shortage of gas. Proposals are lying with the ministry from world class foreign companies in the energy sector who are all ready to tap the gas found in vast pockets in coal fields of the country and use the same for producing power.
As for resources to start work on a number of major power plants with the country's own resources if timely donor support is not obtained, there is also a solution to this . The country's foreign currency reserve now stands comfortably at over $ 10 billion and all the indicators are there that the reserve would only swell further in the future. Thus, a part of it or several billions from it can be spent--immediately-- to establish power plants on a war footing in the public sector without in any way endangering the reserve position. Rather such a move would mean a very timely and beneficial utilization of the reserve.
When all of these and more options are available to the government, it is strange that precious time is getting wasted with only talks and hardly any action in this very crucial area. Steps will have to be taken very quickly from the highest level of the government, to overcome this muddle. The Prime Minister mainly is expected to take the initiative in this matter since she is supremely in charge of the vital power ministry.
The country is now in the winter season and load shedding is expectedto be suspended as requirement of power drops significantly at this time of the year from not running air conditioners, fans, etc. But the relevant ministry informed recently that the country would experience notable load shedding this year even during the winter months as power would be diverted to rural areas to run irrigation pumps to grow Boro crops. This is unprecedented.
Why cannot this irrigation be done without load shedding as power demand on the whole has decreased with the arrival of winter ? Are we to conclude that power production and supply has only turned worse-- instead of becoming better-- inconsistent with the otherwise confidence raising statements from the potentates of the government from time to time ?
A media report was noted recently that the government's plan for installation of some major power plants to generate some 530 mw of power in total ahead of the next summer season-- when power's demands would rise-- has hit snags and would very likely miss the scheduled timeframe for implementation. The work order for the establishment of these plants was to be completed through evaluation and tender bids and related matters by the end of November to pave the way for these plants to come on stream by the projected dates.
But the tendering process has allegedly been upset from arm twisting of powerful quarters and inclusion of inexperienced firms. The bids now number 63 against only 8 plants and the final selection in time was held up from the need to evaluate so many bids. Besides, some of the lowest bidders are inexperienced ones and the authorities are now in utter indecision about whether to accept some of these lowest bidders as per rule and under pressure of interest groups only to risk the fate of these projects. Clearly from such muddling, real progress in producing enough power to meet the power needs of the country's power starved private sector, cannot be expected.
One year or the time span this government has been in power is not a long time. Power projects take time to be conceived and finally set up after overcoming cumbersome preparatory procedures, mobilsation of funds, exhausting the tendering processes and other related needs. The long suffering people of Bangladesh would certainly bear with the government and give it time if they could be convinced that this government had gone to work from day one in its tenure considering the pressing need to augment power supply for the sake of the economy. If they had really done that, then substantial power generation would not be added to the power grid by now. But at least assurances would be created that the power related agonies would be notably less in the coming summer season with progressive improvements in the power supply situation to occur further down in the year. Besides, all sorts of investors would find an inspiration from such developments to come forward and materialize their investment plans on the basis of credible signals that government remained bent on increasing power supply as it had projected on taking over charge. But all of these positive developments would now be negated from the latest outlook of no change in the power sector.
According to media reports, government is now in very active stages of implementing policies to bring some 500 mw of power from India. If this power import could be made in a very short period of time, the same would make some sense. But after completing at least two years in establishing infrastructures on both countries and then getting the power, the same must raise many questions. Why Bangladesh has to go for such cumbersome and delaying process to import power and make itself dependent on external power supply when it had never done so and when all countries usually consider self-reliance in power as basic to their security in all respects?
The issues at stake could be compromised if urgent import of the very badly needed power could be assured through such an arrangement. When this would not be the case, then why this scramble for importing power from a neighbour? It should be cost efficient as well as strategically sound to produce that power within the country through its own resources and means. The same is possible through establishing rental power plants, through a crash programme to import LNG and after its gasification to run the already available power stations in the country that remain shut from shortage of gas. Proposals are lying with the ministry from world class foreign companies in the energy sector who are all ready to tap the gas found in vast pockets in coal fields of the country and use the same for producing power.
As for resources to start work on a number of major power plants with the country's own resources if timely donor support is not obtained, there is also a solution to this . The country's foreign currency reserve now stands comfortably at over $ 10 billion and all the indicators are there that the reserve would only swell further in the future. Thus, a part of it or several billions from it can be spent--immediately-- to establish power plants on a war footing in the public sector without in any way endangering the reserve position. Rather such a move would mean a very timely and beneficial utilization of the reserve.
When all of these and more options are available to the government, it is strange that precious time is getting wasted with only talks and hardly any action in this very crucial area. Steps will have to be taken very quickly from the highest level of the government, to overcome this muddle. The Prime Minister mainly is expected to take the initiative in this matter since she is supremely in charge of the vital power ministry.