Bangladesh to meet 700MW shortage with more oil-run power plants

Bangladesh will install more fuel oil-run power plants nothwithstanding rising oil prices.

Official estimates put the supply shortage from the national grid at 700 megawatt on average every day against demand.

The government had built 24 fuel oil-run rental and peaking power plants to meet growing demand since it took the office 2009, but costlier fuel oil pushed the operation costs to a point where the government had to close most of them.

Experts believe the government should focus on gas and coal-based power plants and ease the pressure on the fuel oil-based power plants.

According to Prime Minister's Advisor Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, there has been little progress on the excavating coals from the mines and that the productivity of gas has increased but not sufficient to meet the demand.

"That's why the government is planning to build new fuel oil-based power plants," he said

He added that some of the plants have duel fuel oil and gas system to runin case another round of fuel price hike ."

State Minister for Power Mohammad Enamul Haque said, "There has been no positive progress on the coal issue. The coal policy will be finalised soon. Initiatives have been taken to dig some new wells for gas."

He said the government was working to resolve the problems regarding fuel for the power plants.

The government is now planning to build 27 more fuel oil-based power plants between 2012 and September, 2014 with a combined capacity of 2,545 megawatts.

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