Kazi Zahidul Hasan :
Authorities have enforced about 100MW nocturnal load shedding in eight northern districts following ‘forced’ shutdown of Barapukuria Thermal power plant adding woes to thousands of electricity consumers.
These districts are Rangpur, Panchagarh, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Dinajpur and Thakurgaon.
Barapukuria Thermal power plant, which is owned and operated by Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), went out of operation on Sunday night due to shortage of fuel as result of ‘mysterious’ disappearance of 1,45,000 tonnes of coal from Barapukuria coal mine field in Dinajpur.
“The sudden shut down of the Barapukuria power plant has forced us to impose an average 100MW nighttime load shedding (from 7pm to 11pm) in eight northern districts which mainly receive power supply from the plant,” Engr Khaled Mahmood, Chairman of Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), told The New Nation on Thursday.
He, however, claimed that the current power crisis in these districts remained ‘reasonable’ level despite shut down of the plant. It would not turn ‘acute’ as the situation is being managed with available generation from regional power plants and national grids.
“We’re trying to ensure power supply to the districts from alternative sources like power plants in Sirajganj, Rajshahi and Bheramara,”
said Khaled Mahmud.
He also said that the BPDB has urged Petrobangla to ensure adequate gas supply to the gas-fired power plants in Sirajganj and other districts to increase generation so that power supply situation in the northern districts could be made normal.
When asked, Engr Khaled Mahmood said it is a temporary problem. We will overcome the problem after resumption of power generation by the Barapukuria plant.
“The power generation and supply from the power plant is expected to resume by the end of August,” he added.
BPDB officials said the Barapukuria power plant requires about 4,500 tonnes of coal a day when all its three units are in operation. But the third unit with 275MW capacity was operating when the plant was completely shut down on Sunday night.
The authorities were forced to shut the plant’s production as around 145,000 tonnes of coal meant for the power plant had disappeared. The current market price of the coal is around Tk 230 crore.
The coal scam, however, created much media hype forcing the government to form a probe body to identify the culprits behind the scam.
Authorities have enforced about 100MW nocturnal load shedding in eight northern districts following ‘forced’ shutdown of Barapukuria Thermal power plant adding woes to thousands of electricity consumers.
These districts are Rangpur, Panchagarh, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Dinajpur and Thakurgaon.
Barapukuria Thermal power plant, which is owned and operated by Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), went out of operation on Sunday night due to shortage of fuel as result of ‘mysterious’ disappearance of 1,45,000 tonnes of coal from Barapukuria coal mine field in Dinajpur.
“The sudden shut down of the Barapukuria power plant has forced us to impose an average 100MW nighttime load shedding (from 7pm to 11pm) in eight northern districts which mainly receive power supply from the plant,” Engr Khaled Mahmood, Chairman of Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), told The New Nation on Thursday.
He, however, claimed that the current power crisis in these districts remained ‘reasonable’ level despite shut down of the plant. It would not turn ‘acute’ as the situation is being managed with available generation from regional power plants and national grids.
“We’re trying to ensure power supply to the districts from alternative sources like power plants in Sirajganj, Rajshahi and Bheramara,”
said Khaled Mahmud.
He also said that the BPDB has urged Petrobangla to ensure adequate gas supply to the gas-fired power plants in Sirajganj and other districts to increase generation so that power supply situation in the northern districts could be made normal.
When asked, Engr Khaled Mahmood said it is a temporary problem. We will overcome the problem after resumption of power generation by the Barapukuria plant.
“The power generation and supply from the power plant is expected to resume by the end of August,” he added.
BPDB officials said the Barapukuria power plant requires about 4,500 tonnes of coal a day when all its three units are in operation. But the third unit with 275MW capacity was operating when the plant was completely shut down on Sunday night.
The authorities were forced to shut the plant’s production as around 145,000 tonnes of coal meant for the power plant had disappeared. The current market price of the coal is around Tk 230 crore.
The coal scam, however, created much media hype forcing the government to form a probe body to identify the culprits behind the scam.
