Power, gas woes mount as demand surges
Bangladesh’s energy crisis has intensified, with daily peak load shedding exceeding 3,000 megawatts for nearly a week.
At the same time, a sharp decline in natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies is reducing electricity generation and affecting households, industries and transportation.
The situation has become particularly difficult in rural areas, where some communities are reportedly receiving electricity for only five to seven hours a day.
Major cities, including Dhaka, are also experiencing increased load shedding as authorities attempt to distribute the electricity shortage more evenly across the country.
The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and Power Grid Bangladesh data show that peak load shedding reached 3,671 MW on Sunday, increased to 3,757 MW on Monday, stood at 3,465 MW on Tuesday, and was 3,382 MW on Wednesday.
Rural communities have been hit hardest. In some areas, residents are reportedly receiving electricity for only five to seven hours a day, while power remains unavailable for as long as 17 to 20 hours.
The crisis has been intensified by a combination of falling power generation and rising electricity demand.
BPDB Chairman Rezaul Karim said electricity demand during the same period last year was around 15,000 to 16,000 MW, but this year it has increased to approximately 18,000 to 19,000 MW.
The shortage of pipeline gas has also pushed more consumers toward electricity.
Many households are using electric cookers because they are not receiving sufficient gas, while industries unable to operate their own captive power plants because of gas shortages are increasingly depending on grid electricity.
Gas shortage
Adverse weather around Maheshkhali has disrupted LNG unloading at Summit’s floating LNG terminal, reducing gas supply from the facility to around 200 million cubic feet per day.
Excelerate Energy’s floating LNG terminal is also operating below full capacity because of a technical problem.
It is currently supplying around 200 to 220 million cubic feet per day, compared with a normal supply of about 550 to 600 million cubic feet.
Combined LNG supply from the two terminals has fallen to around 410 million cubic feet per day.
Supply from Summit’s terminal is unlikely to improve significantly before the arrival of a new LNG cargo expected on August 15.
After that, the Excelerate terminal is expected to be shut for about 72 hours to restore full operating capacity.
Power plants require around 2.2 billion cubic feet of gas per day, but under normal conditions they receive only about 1.0 to 1.1 billion cubic feet.
During the latest LNG shortage, gas supply to the power sector fell below 700 million cubic feet per day.
Petrobangla later increased supply to around 800 million cubic feet, although it subsequently declined to approximately 750 million cubic feet.
Bangladesh has about 12,472 MW of gas-fired power generation capacity, but because of the gas shortage, actual production from these plants has fallen to roughly 3,000 to 4,000 MW.
Feni hit hard by gas crisis
Our Feni correspondent said that shortage has also severely affected Feni, Noakhali and Lakshmipur.
According to Bakhrabad Gas Distribution Company Limited, the three districts require around 28 million cubic feet of gas per day, but they are currently receiving only about 12 to 14 million cubic feet.
In Feni alone, around 25,000 residential customers, including approximately 19,000 in the city, have been affected.
The crisis has also disrupted operations at 12 CNG filling stations, about 29 industrial factories and around seven captive power units.
Many households have been unable to cook because of extremely low gas pressure and are being forced to purchase LPG cylinders at higher prices.
Gas shortages are also affecting large parts of the capital.
Residents in several areas of Dhaka have complained that they receive little or no gas for most of the day. CNG-powered vehicles are also facing serious difficulties.
At some filling stations, drivers are reportedly waiting for three to four hours, sometimes receiving only a small amount of gas before pressure falls again. Others are leaving stations without refuelling after waiting for hours.
The government has apologized for the disruption and said measures are being taken to restore supply.
Officials have attributed much of the immediate shortage to natural conditions and rough seas that have reduced operations at the country’s floating LNG terminals.
Official estimates put Bangladesh’s daily gas demand at around 4 billion cubic feet, although energy experts believe actual demand exceeds 5 billion cubic feet.
Against this demand, the country currently has the capacity to supply around 2.7 billion cubic feet per day from domestic production and imported LNG.
Around 1.75 billion cubic feet normally comes from domestic gas fields, while approximately 950 million cubic feet comes from imported LNG.
The disruption at the two Maheshkhali floating LNG terminals has sharply reduced that imported supply, placing additional pressure on electricity generation, industries, transport and households.
Unless LNG supply returns to normal and gas availability improves, Bangladesh is likely to continue facing significant pressure on both its power and gas systems in the coming days.
