Gas rationing, factory shutdown set in motion as energy supply in doldrums 

The Energy Division has drastically cut energy allocation to industries, CNG units and households to keep the promise to ensure energy supply to the power sector during holy Ramadan.

To ensure energy supply to power plants, the Ashuganj Fertilizer and Chemical Company Ltd in Brahmanbaria has once again halted urea production indefinitely from Saturday night.

"The gas supply to Ashuganj Fertilizer Factory has been stopped by a government decision. When or if the supply will resume is also up to the government. It is likely that the factory will not receive gas this season," Deputy General Manager Engineer Zahidur Reza of Ashuganj Fertilizer and Chemical Company Ltd said.

Not only Ashuganj factory, the industries situated at Savar, Ashulia, Gazipur, Aricha are the worst sufferer of gas rationing, and industries of these areas are getting gas at 4 to 5 PSI against the required 15 PSI pressure level.

"The spinning mills and ceramics factories are suffering a lot..we are raising our voice time and again but not getting any proper response from the government, we don't know whom to go to as it's an issue of accountability towards the people," Moynul Islam, Senior Vice President, Monno Ceramic and Bone China told the Daily Observer.

Elaborating the energy crisis issue he pointed finger at the inaction of interim government saying that "they don't have any plan, if they have any plan they will procure more LNG cargo or take action to import more furnace oil from abroad to generate more energy, unfortunately they did not do so," Moynul Islam said.

It was learnt that the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has not placed any additional requirements for furnace oil (HFO) imports to meet the needs of private power plants ahead of Ramadan and the hot summer season, an official confirmed.
"We are prepared to import 150,000 tonnes of furnace oil to meet the demands of power plants," said BPC Chairman Amin Ul Ahsan. 

Meanwhile, CNG stations are not receiving gas from 7:30 am to 10:30 am in the morning and 10:30 pm to 12:30 am at midnight every day. 

"We never get gas over 5 psi against the requirement of 15 psi," President of the CNG Owners' Association, Farhan Noor, said.
House wife Khairunnesa of Kasaituli, Bongshal said they are getting gas at 2:00 pm (midnight) and the burner became dry before morning.

"We could not able to cook any iftar item at our home…everything was bought from outside. Farida Yesmin from west Agargoan and Tanzila Karim of Kazipara told that there was no pressure of gas at their burner after Asar prayer to Iftar.

"It was terrible to manage the dining on the first day of Holy Ramadan as it was also a festive day for Muslim along with the religious practice," Tanzila Karim said.
  
Earlier, the Energy Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan said Energy rationing and austerity measures would be taken to fights against the nagging power crisis during Ramadan, irrigation season and sultry summer in the upcoming days.

"No organisation, institution or individual will be allowed to operate air conditioners at lower than 25 degrees Celsius (°C) in the upcoming summer," Energy Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan announced.

Meanwhile, the Power Division is set to issue letters to various sectors and requested the Commerce Adviser to inform private businesses of the new regulation; however, the Religious Adviser will request mosque imams to maintain the air conditioner regulation, the Cabinet Division will direct all government offices, including the Secretariat, to implement this policy. 

"Non-compliance could result in the disconnection of electricity services and legal action against the offending entities or individuals," the adviser told the media on Sunday at Kakrial Circuit house Mosque premises.

According to the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), power consumption is expected to surge by over 4,000 megawatts (MW) in Ramadan alone, pushing peak-time electricity demand to around 16,000MW from the current generation level of,808MW.

"We are working hard to increase the gas output, however, the supply of gas may increase by 200 to 250 million cubic feet during Ramadan, that's why we are starting energy rationing to save these amount to make the situation at tolerant level. We don't know what will happen to other sectors like industries, captive power or domestic and gas dependent entities," Energy Division officials said.

Currently, 2,060 mmcf to 2,650 mmcf is being supplied. 
According to sources at the Bangladesh Oil, Gas, and Mineral Resources Corporation (Petrobangla), the daily demand for gas in the country is 3,800 mmcf, but expert said it is more than 4,000 mmcf.

However, Petrobangla is supplying around 3,800 mmcf gas (including the imported LNG) per day against the demand of 4,200 mmcf gas. The demand of gas would shoot up around 5,000 mmcf in Ramadan and upcoming summer for cooking, cooling and irrigation purposes, these allocation could not be able to address the crisis. 

To address the issue, BPDB board urged Petrobangla to ensure 1400 mmcf of gas for the power sector thus it could be able to run its gas based power plants to achieve its required plan to produce around 17,000 MW of electricity along with coal and liquid fuel run plants. The power plants are now getting around 800 to 900 mmcf gas per day.

"In the first day of Ramadan we get 908.30mmcf gas to run our power plants," a senior official of BPDB said. 

The main challenges in power and energy sector is primary fuel as there is no magic in government hand that could increase the supply of primary fuel, and at the same time dollar crisis is also a serious impediment in this regard," Energy adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan said.