Bangladesh is facing renewed pressure on its electricity supply as several power plants have gone offline because of technical faults, while gas shortages are forcing others to operate below capacity. The situation has coincided with rising temperatures linked to a depression over the Bay of Bengal, adding to pressure on electricity demand.
The latest disruptions involve one unit of the Adani power plant, which supplies electricity from India, and one unit of the domestic RNPL power plant. Their simultaneous shutdown has created a fresh shortfall of around 1,200 megawatts, according to the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).
The electricity situation report for Thursday (10 September) showed that at around 3pm, national electricity demand stood at 16,345 megawatts, while generation was 12,788 megawatts. This resulted in a deficit of 3,557 megawatts. The demand at that time was already at least 1,000 megawatts below the day’s peak requirement, yet the gap between demand and available generation remained substantial.
The shortfall has increased pressure on the national grid and led to heavier load-shedding in several parts of the country. Areas that had experienced relatively better electricity availability for several weeks are once again facing frequent outages.
Zahurul Islam, a member of the BPDB responsible for generation, said the Adani plant had suddenly lost one of its units. Efforts were under way to repair the unit and restore generation as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, an RNPL unit also stopped operating, creating an additional strain on the power system.
Data from the National Load Dispatch Centre (NLDC) indicate that electricity supplied by the Adani plant fell sharply on Wednesday night. At around 11pm, its output dropped from 1,430 megawatts to 758 megawatts.
Coal-fired power generation also declined during the same period. Output from coal-based plants fell to 4,857 megawatts, compared with 5,200 megawatts a day earlier. The reduction has further narrowed the amount of electricity available to meet demand.
The problems extend beyond coal-fired plants. Several gas-fired power stations have also been affected by technical faults. In Ashuganj, a power plant with a capacity of 450 megawatts had generated 319 megawatts of electricity a day earlier. It subsequently stopped production because of a technical problem.
Gas shortages are creating another major constraint. At least seven power plants in the Dhaka region are either out of operation or running at reduced capacity because of inadequate gas supplies. One plant each in the Chattogram, Cumilla and Mymensingh regions is also reported to be out of service.
The combination of unexpected plant outages, reduced coal-fired generation and gas shortages has widened the gap between electricity demand and supply. When large generating units suddenly stop operating, the loss of capacity can place immediate pressure on the grid, particularly when demand remains high.
Consumers are already bearing the impact. After remaining relatively subdued for several weeks, load-shedding has once again intensified across different regions. In urban areas, some consumers are experiencing power cuts several times a day, with outages reported as many as four times in some locations.
The situation is more severe in rural areas. Load-shedding of between seven and 10 hours has reportedly returned in some places, disrupting daily activities and putting additional pressure on households and businesses that depend on a stable electricity supply.
The immediate priority for the power sector is to restore the units that have stopped operating and address the fuel constraints affecting gas-fired plants. Until those generating facilities return to service or operate closer to their available capacity, the shortfall between demand and supply is likely to remain a significant challenge for the country’s electricity system.
