Tawfiq-e-Ilahi sees hope in Rampal and India's electricity
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| Load Shedding । File Image |
He said these things in front of the journalists at the end of a seminar titled 'Aspirational Momentum: The Development Story of Bangladesh' of BIDS, a state-owned development research institute, at a restaurant in Gulshan, Dhaka, on Sunday (October 16).
He also said that due to the energy crisis caused by the war between Ukraine and Russia, there is no news of any improvement in the electricity situation soon.
Regarding loadshedding in front of the journalists, he said, "We thought that the Ukraine-Russia war would stop before winter." That's why I said that the electricity load-shedding would improve by October but it didn't. It is not possible to generate electricity due to fuel shortage. But we have the capacity to generate power as per the demand.”
On the question of when the electricity situation will improve, he said, "It can be said that we are in an uncertain situation. We have to be patient. There is no option but to be patient.”
"If a national transmission line 'fails', it cannot be fixed quickly," he said, suggesting a wait. If global conditions improve and fuel prices come down, it will be a boon for gold.”
He commented that otherwise we will have to suffer due to fuel shortage.
Despite the success in electricity, to another question about alternative plans to deal with disaster situations, the energy adviser said, “We have built coal-based power plants as an alternative despite objections, but there is a delay in power coming from there. Hope to get power from Rampal by December. Besides, this problem will be solved if electricity is imported from the center of Jharkhand in India.”
India's Adani Group plans to export 1,496 MW of electricity from Godda Power Project in Jharkhand to Bangladesh. That power is also expected to be available in December.
In a tweet after meeting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her visit to Delhi on September 6, Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani promised to export electricity by December 16 this year.
Adani Power has set up this thermal power plant with a capacity of 1,600 MW in Godda district of Jharkhand based on the agreement reached during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh in 2015.
According to the 25-year agreement, they are supposed to export 1,496 MW of electricity from this center to Bangladesh.
On the other hand, a unit of Bagerhat's Rampal power plant, built in a joint venture with India, was earlier announced to start commercial production from October, but now it is getting delayed.
The power plant under construction by Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Limited (BIFPCL) is nearing completion. Sheikh Hasina and Narendra Modi inaugurated the center on September 6 during the Prime Minister's visit to India.
Project Director Subhas Chandra Pandey said on Sunday night about the latest progress of power generation at this center that they are producing experimental power in a unit, which is being increased gradually. This electricity is being added to the supply line of Khulna region.
Stating that the test of 250 megawatt power generation was completed on the night of October 14, he said, “The capacity has not been increased due to fuel shortage and some machinery not yet reached. Now comes the machinery. Test production will be done again this Sunday night itself. The production capacity will be gradually increased to the full 660 MW in the remaining days of October. Now all the machineries we need have arrived. These will be added gradually. We hope that 660 MW of the first unit will be supplied to the Khulna region by early November.”
Stating that the other unit will have to wait till March to get 660 MW of electricity, he said that once the transmission line is ready through Padma Bridge, electricity can be supplied from Rampal to other parts of the country.
The government is on the path to save dollars when foreign exchange reserves are under pressure due to war and international market conditions. Among other initiatives, old load shedding was brought back to save fuel costs. It was then reported that the situation had improved by September. However, load shedding increased further in October.
In addition to power coming from Rampal and Adani power plants, the government has undertaken a plan to produce 1,000 megawatts of solar power to meet the increased demand, said Taufiq Elahi, crisis energy advisor.
To another question about suffering and suffering in recent load shedding, he said, "During fuel crisis, load shedding is going on for 8-10 hours but when a problem arises, it takes time to solve it."
Ramadan is coming. Then the demand for electricity will increase. When asked about the government's special plan to deal with such a situation, he said, “Coal and Bholar gas will be brought to Dhaka in CNG. That will reduce some pressure. We expect to get 80 MMcft of gas from there.”
In Pettobangla and Bapex, the long-term solution to the energy problem is being given to the bureaucrats instead of experts in this sector - when drawing attention to this issue, Tawfiq Elahi said, "Bureaucrats run the administration." There are experts to assist him. They are legally independent. They can work independently.”
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