Load shedding drops significantly as two power plants resume operations: Minister

Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood said on Monday that the country's power situation has improved significantly and load shedding has been reduced considerably following the resumption of operations at two power plants.

In a statement delivered under Rule 300 of the Rules of Procedure in the Jatiya Sangsad, the minister said some areas experienced load shedding on Sunday after two power generation units went out of operation.

"Power generation has increased to 14,500 megawatts today [Monday] against a demand of 14,839 megawatts. As a result, the power deficit has now come down to only 339 megawatts," he said.

The minister said the government is working to further reduce the remaining shortfall as quickly as possible. "Although limited load shedding may still occur in some areas, every effort is being made to restore an uninterrupted power supply across the country." 

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Minister terms power situation a ‘national crisis’, urges patience

Iqbal said yesterday's (Sunday's) situation was comparatively more challenging, but the overall power supply has improved today as the government has taken all necessary measures to ensure stable electricity generation and distribution.

Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, presided over the sitting.

Referring to his earlier statement under Rule 300 in parliament Sunday night, the minister recalled that technical faults at a power plant and disruptions in coal unloading caused by rough weather in the Bay of Bengal had led to the power shortage. 

A boiler tube leak forced the emergency shutdown of one power plant, while adverse sea conditions prevented coal unloading at a coal-fired power station, resulting in the closure of one of its generating units.