8 Ctg power plants out of production

Eight power plants in Chattogram have been sitting idle – six of them due to gas and oil shortages. 

Apart from this, four out of five units of the country's only hydropower station in Kaptai are closed due to lack of water.

Only 812 MW are being produced from 13 operational power plants. Due to this, port city residents have to endure load shedding even during winter.

According to the Power Development Board (PBD) Chattogram regional power generation and distribution centre data, the two units of 210 MW and 420 MW thermal power plants in Raujan require 45 million and 90 million cubic feet of gas to fully operate.

Thirty-eight million cubic feet of gas is required to keep the Shikalbaha 150 MW power plant operational and another 60 MW power plant in Shikalbaha requires 17 million cubic feet of gas. All four power plants are now closed due to gas shortage.

Private power plants –- the 24 MW Regent Power Plant –- and 100 MW Energypac are also closed.

Apart from this, out of the 5 units of the country's only hydroelectric station in Kaptai, 4 units are closed due to lack of water. Only one unit (Unit No. 2) is functional - generating only 30 MW of electricity.

Kaptai Hydro Power Plant Manager Engineer ATM Abduzzahe said, "It is not possible to start units 1, 3, 4 and 5 due to the lack of water in Kaptai Lake. The water level in Kaptai Lake was 85.63 mean sea level (MSL) till Thursday; according to the rule curve in the lake, the current level of water should be 101.21. Unit no. 2 was out of production for a long time due to a fault. Currently, the unit is renovated and operational. From where 30 megawatts of electricity are being produced." 

However, PDB Chattogram (South Region) Chief Engineer (Distribution) Rezaul Karim said, "There is no load shedding in Chattogram now. 812 megawatts of electricity are being produced in Chattogram from public and private power plants. Demand is also 812 MW."