Bangladesh shuts down largest power plant due to extreme heat

Bangladesh’s largest power plant was shut down on June 5 due to coal shortages as sweltering heat created rising demand for electricity in the country, UCA News reported on June 6.

In May, the 1,320-megawatt Payra state power plant in southern Bangladesh already cut power generation due to fuel shortages, but was forced to shut down completely on Monday, plant manager Shah Abdul said. Mawla.

“Due to lack of coal, today at 12:15 p.m. the plant was completely closed”Mawla said, adding that he hoped to restore production within three weeks when coal shipments arrive.

The country has experienced nationwide power outages lasting up to five hours a day in recent weeks as heat waves hit the country, creating a growing demand for electricity.

Thus, on June 5, a temperature of 41.1 degrees Celsius was recorded in Bangladesh, after which the government was forced to close primary schools until June 8 in the hope that the heat would subside.

Bangladesh’s power grid company ABM Badruddoza Khan said the country is experiencing “a deficit of 2,500 MW in the national grid” from 2,200 MW the day before, with daily demand of around 16,000 MW.

Energy Minister Nasrul Hamid said he hoped to normalize the situation within 10-15 days.

“We cannot provide enough coal, gas and fuel”he told reporters, citing “economic factors” as the reason, including obtaining letters of credit.

Remember that Bangladesh is struggling with currency depreciation, while the country’s foreign exchange reserves declined from $46 billion in January 2022 to $30 billion by the end of April 2023. The official inflation rate is 9 .9%, but independent economists say the real rate is much higher.

The Bangladeshi taka depreciated by around 25% against the US dollar last year, raising the cost of imports for fuel and utilities.

In February 2022, the International Monetary Fund signed a $4.7 billion rescue package for Bangladesh.

Source: Rossa Primavera