Energy Bangla - Bangladesh: Gas Supply to Some Industries to Remain on Hold 5 hrs a Day

In order to provide power plants with required quantity of fuel, energy ministry has asked Petrobangla to stop gas supply to re-rolling mills, lime and dyeing industries for five hours from 6 pm everyday.

Though the ministry last week decided to give priority to power plants than fertiliser factories and cut gas supply to those it did not work. To address the problem the energy ministry has now decided to stop supply as it cannot increase power generation right at the moment. The energy ministry has also asked the Petrobangla to make a list of bulk consumers which are not producing essential commodities.

However, frequent power outage has gravely affected the life of the city dwellers for the last two days as power production has declined by 400 MW to 500 MW due to gas shortage. According to the power ministry sources, the country is now experiencing around 800 MW to 1000 MW power shortage.

Frequent power failures just before the onset of summer season are also creating serious water crisis in the city for a long time. The city dwellers have to face loadshedding for 4 to 5 hours a day, especially in the old part of the metropolis, Tongi and in the seven PBS under DESA's jurisdiction. Students are the worst sufferers. Small industries and hospitals have also been facing problems due to loadshedding every day.

The Power Development Board (PDB) says it is producing 3400-3500 MW for the last two days which is 250MW to 350 MW less than the previous week. DESA authority says it gets 1100 MW to 1150 MW in day time and 1200 MW to 1230 MW at night against the demand of 1400MW and 1600 MW. Yesterday, DESA shed 170 MW in day time and 300 MW in evening although all re-rolling mills were closed in the evening. It could save little through staggered supply during holidays. DESCO authority shed 103 MW in day time.

"We are unable to generate power as per our production capacity because Petrobangla is supplying us 600 mmcf of gas against our required demand of 844 mmcf per day..so we have to cut production at Ghorasal, Siddhirganj and Raozan power plants", Dr. Faozul Kabir Khan, secretary, power ministry, told yesterday.

He assured that the situation would improve within a couple of days with the supply of 600 MW to the consumers which was given to the farmers for irrigation. The irrigation season will last up to April 15.

UNB adds: According to official website of Petrobangla, the organisation now supplies 695 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) gas to power stations against their demand for 841 mmcfd, which shows a 145 mmcfd supply shortage.

Similarly, the fertiliser factories are getting 289 mmcfd gas against their demand for 233 mmcfd, leaving a supply shortage of 65 mmcfd.

Meanwhile, another UNB report from Chittagong says one of the two units of Raujan Thermal Power Station was shut down completely while the other partially early yesterday due to poor gas supply, causing frequent load shedding in different areas of the port city.

Power Development Board (PDB) sources said they were compelled to stop power production in unit no-2, which is capable of generating 220mw electricity, at about 1.30am.

The authorities also cut down production to 100 MWs in the 200-MW unit due to short supply of gas.

According to the sources, the station required 56 MMC gas to run it smoothly. But, since Monday midnight, the Bakhrabad Gas Systems Ltd has been supplying only 20 MMCs for fuelling the plant.