Load shedding increases despite record power generation

Bangladesh generated a record electricity production of 16,233MW on Monday, but load shedding has increased across the country, particularly in rural areas, amid an intense heatwave.

The Rural Electrification Board (REB), the country's largest distribution company, supplies electricity to more than 80% of the country's rural areas. 

According to the board's zonal electricity demand and supply data, the distribution company had to implement load shedding of 1,744MW around 3pm on Tuesday. 

During this period, the company's nationwide electricity demand was 8,896MW, while the supply was 7,152MW. 

Mymensingh region experienced the highest 517MW load shedding among REB's distribution areas yesterday, accounting for 42% of the demand. In Chattogram, load shedding reached 149MW,  Dhaka experienced 563MW, Cumilla had 230MW, Rajshahi 207MW, and Rangpur 78MW. 

However, the company managed to meet the electricity demand in Barishal, Sylhet, and Khulna regions without any shortage.

A director of the REB, requesting anonymity, told TBS that they are currently not getting the needed electricity in their distribution areas and are forced to do load shedding even in this heat.

Billal Hossian, a resident of Laksham upazila in Cumilla, said, "We had no electricity almost all night. In a day, we barely get six hours of power in our area. The government says we have enough electricity, but it's not true. We need electricity for at least 6 to 8 hours a day."

Hasib Tanvir from Narsingdi said the load shedding is unbearable. "It's been a long time since we had such intense power cuts, especially during a heatwave. Besides dealing with mosquitoes, we're also suffering from severe load shedding."

Meanwhile, the Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC) and Dhaka Electric Supply Company (Desco) said there is no shortage of electricity in the capital. However, some areas in the city experienced brief power outages due to technical issues. 

The Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) is responsible for transmitting electricity from power stations to the national grid. According to the company's data, the country's electricity demand was 15,300MW at 3pm on Tuesday, while the production stood at 14,202MW, resulting in a load shedding of 1,049MW.

State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid recently said they are urging power plants to operate at full capacity. However, finance is a major concern.

"Regular gas supply is crucial, and I'm in discussions with power plants. The main challenge is ensuring financial support to keep the plants running," he added.

Mohammad Hossain, director general of Power Cell, the technical wing of the Power Division, told TBS that the division aims to generate over 16,000MW this year, aligning with their production plans. 

"However, with a demand increase of 1,000MW compared to last year, I can't assure a decrease in load shedding. We may still face load shedding ranging from 500MW to 1500 MW," he added.

Meanwhile, meteorologists forecast that temperatures will remain high for the next week, with no relief expected until 28 April in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India.