starting tomorrow, power outages to combat the energy crisis

The government decided to impose power cuts for at least an hour a day to reduce fuel costs. The possibility of closing gas stations is being studied. According to experts, these measures will cause an increase in demand.

Dhaka () – Starting today, Bangladesh will have power cuts of at least an hour. The government made the decision to implement the measure in an attempt to reduce costs and put a stop to the current energy crisis in the country.

Power outages will occur between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. Offices, courts and places of worship have been advised to limit the use of air conditioners. Shops and companies will not be able to use electricity after 8:00 p.m.

Oil-fired power plants will be temporarily shut down. The government is also studying the possibility of closing gas stations for one day a week and reducing office working hours. They could even require public officials to restrict the use of private vehicles.

All these considerations were on the table yesterday during a meeting held in the office of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The Energy Advisor, Tawfiq-e-Ilahi Chowdhury, and the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Nasrul Hamid, were present, together with the heads of the competent government institutions. The Minister of Public Administration, Farhad Hossain, said that the government is also studying the possibility of imposing the home office, so that the population works from home: “Office hours could be reduced or people would work from home. Within the next week a decision will be made, so that people don’t suffer”.

The power outages are estimated to cause a power shortage of about 1,200 megawatts a day. In Bangladesh, the demand for electricity is 15,000 megawatts and at the moment the maximum production is only 13,000.

According to experts, the measures adopted by the government will not generate any economic savings in particular: with the closure of diesel power plants, the use of generators (also fueled by diesel) could increase, while the announcement of the closure of pumps of gasoline could cause an increase in demand, with massive queues to ensure a sufficient supply of fuel. Taking into account that public buildings are not efficient from an energy point of view, the measures, as proposed, are unrealistic.

Bangladesh imports almost all of its fuel. Most of it is used for transportation and 34% for power generation. Due to the high price of crude oil, which has exceeded $100 per barrel, fuel-fired power plants cannot operate at full capacity. Many gas-fired plants have been closed due to fuel shortages.

Other countries in the region are also facing energy crises characterized by severe blackouts: this is the case of Sri Lankawhich has been in default for months, Laos Y Pakistan. Fuel imports are becoming more difficult due to low foreign exchange reserves.