17 generation units closed : Country faces severe load-shedding
About 17 power generation units at different power stations across the country remained closed on account of either gas shortage or maintenance and rehabilitation that triggered huge load shedding in recent days.
According to official statistics, these units having total generation capacity of about 1595 MW now remained out of operation.Of the units, 727 MW of electricity is now not being produced because of gas shortage while another 868 MW of electricity is not coming to the national grid on account of maintenance or rehabilitation of different generation units."That's why the country has been experiencing severe load shedding in recent days," said a senior official at the state-owned Power Development Board (PDB).
The closed major generation units include two 210 MW gas turbine units at Ghorasal power station, one 125 MW unit of Barapukurai coal-fired station and 120 MW unit at Siddhirganj peaking plant.The country's total generation was projected to be 3969 MW at the peak hour on Saturday evening against a demand of more than 5500 MW.
PDB officials hoped that most of these units, which remained closed on technical ground and now under maintenance programme, will be able to resume generation from middle of the current month."We're trying to our level best to bring them back into production before the holy Ramadan begins," said a PDB official.
However, industry insiders are skeptical about the possibility of resuming power generation by these plants soon and apprehend huge load shedding in the coming Ramadan.The Power Ministry has already asked the PDB and other power generation company officials to take prompt steps to improve the situation before the holy Ramadan.
Amid such a scenario, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to hold a meeting with the Power Ministry officials today (Sunday). She is likely to review the overall power supply situation and implementation of different power projects undertaken by the present government in last few months to tackle the power crisis.
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