The country's electricity demand has surged by over 1,000 megawatts within just a day, leading to intermittent load shedding across various regions as authorities grapple with production shortfalls.
According to the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB), the peak demand on Thursday (13 March) at 7pm stood at 14,421 MW.
However, on Saturday (15 March), a public holiday, demand soared to 15,376 MW at 9pm.
In contrast, the peak demand on the same date last year was 12,774 MW, indicating a significant annual increase.
On 15 March, at 9pm, electricity production reached 15,336 MW, falling short of the peak demand by 40 MW.
The highest load shedding occurred at 7pm that day, reaching 73 MW, while the evening peak demand of 15,121 MW was met with a generation of 15,045 MW.
Additionally, load shedding at 3pm stood at 70 MW.
The early weeks of Ramadan saw relatively cooler weather, reducing the reliance on fans and air conditioners.
However, on 15 March, temperatures rose sharply, with Rajshahi recording 36.8°C at 3pm—the highest temperature of the season—resulting in a sudden spike in electricity demand.
The Power Development Board (PDB) has attributed the production shortfall to inadequate gas supply. Despite an agreement to provide 1,200 million cubic feet of gas daily during Ramadan, only 986 million cubic feet was supplied on Saturday.
Data from Petrobangla’s daily production report indicates that while the power sector required 2,410 million cubic feet of gas on 15 March, only 986 million cubic feet was delivered.
Consequently, 12 power plants remained non-operational due to gas shortages, with two others shutting down due to low pressure.
On 5 February, an inter-ministerial meeting was held to discuss power and energy supply management during Ramadan and the irrigation season.
Following the meeting, Energy Adviser Dr Faozul Kabir Khan stated that efforts were in place to keep the grid free from load shedding during Ramadan.
However, he acknowledged that load shedding ranging between 700 MW and 1,400 MW might be necessary in the summer.
The adviser further mentioned that while the current gas supply to power plants stands at 900 million cubic feet, this would be increased to 1,200 million cubic feet during Ramadan and maintained at 1,100 million cubic feet from April to September to support higher electricity generation.
Forecasts indicate that power demand during the summer and irrigation season could reach 18,000 MW, with air conditioning alone accounting for 6,000 MW.
Dr Khan suggested that setting air conditioners at 25–26°C could reduce power demand by 2,000–3,000 MW, potentially mitigating the need for load shedding.
However, this suggestion has drawn mixed reactions, with some arguing that air conditioners at 25°C tend to blow warm air, making the recommendation impractical.
The current electricity generation capacity stands at 26,609 MW, comprising 12,013 MW from gas-based power plants, 6,951 MW from coal, 5,503 MW from furnace oil, 286 MW from diesel, and 1,160 MW from imports.
The highest recorded electricity generation was 16,435 MW on 1 May 2024. While authorities target a supply of 18,000 MW this year, concerns remain over whether the transmission and distribution infrastructure can handle the increased load.
