Power, Energy and Mineral Resources advisor Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan said on Monday that the government is planning to use more oil-fired power plants and increase LNG imports to meet the growing demand of electricity in the ongoing summer and upcoming Eid-ul-Adha.
He said the demand of electricity raised by 1,425 MW in one month due to rising summer heat and the load shedding also rises to 651 MW, if we not take immediate proactive measures, the power outages would be increase, he told a press conference quoting the official data at the Bidyut Bhaban in the capital.
"To address the summer power situation, the government will import four additional LNG cargoes. With these measures in place, we expect to keep load shedding under control," Fouzul Kabir said.
He said during Eid-ul-Adha, many people travel from cities to villages, leading to reduced air conditioner use in urban areas. At the same time, we will operate more oil-fired power plants to meet the rising electricity demand in summer, and at the same time we are planning to distribute the loadshed equally between urban and rural areas, he added.
Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Ltd (PGCBL) officials told the press conference that as summer sets in and temperatures continue to rise, electricity consumption has already seen a significant increase, between 10 April and 10 May, power demand surged by 1,425 MW, Both electricity consumption and load shedding rose during this period.
On 10 April, the country's peak power generation reached 14,593 MW against the demand of 14,593 MW, while load shedding was recorded at 236 MW.
By 10 May, peak generation climbed to 16,018 MW, but demand outpaced supply at 16,700 MW, resulting in 651 MW of load shedding.
Officials from the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and PGCBL warned that without prompt and proactive action, the load shedding situation could worsen significantly.
