The main driving force of modern civilization is electricity. The discovery of electricity has opened a historic chapter in the history of human existence. Its contribution has brought about radical changes in human life and civilization.Its magical power has brought the entire world into the palm of your hand. But Bangladesh is constantly facing an electricity crisis. This crisis is being created due to the disruption of normal electricity production and its improper use.And as a result, the overall development of Bangladesh is seriously lagging behind.
Importance of Electricity in Daily Life
Electricity plays an essential role in daily life. People use electricity in various ways to run the modern world. Modern life becomes meaningless without electricity. We depend heavily on electricity in our everyday activities and cannot even imagine life without it. We need electricity to operate our daily appliances such as electric fans, lamps, radios, tape recorders, televisions, mobile phones, DVD players, refrigerators, computers, and air conditioners. In addition, people use electricity in the medical field, communication systems, offices, courts, and industries.http://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Electricity_sector_inElectricity sector in Bangladesh – Wikipedia
Electricity demand & production
Currently, 75 percent of the country’s total population has come under the power facility. On the other hand, the amount of electricity generation per capita is less than other developing countries of the world. In the fiscal year 2016-2017, a maximum of 1036 MW of electricity was generated, of which 88.24 percent was gas-based, 3181 percent was coal-based and 4.77 percent was oil-based. However, despite a significant increase in installed power generation capacity, due to the shortage of available generation capacity, it has not been possible to meet the actual power demand in the last few years.
| Fiscal Year | Installed Capacity (MW) | Peak Production (MW) |
| 2017-2018 | 15,950 | 10,952 |
| 2018-2019 | 18,961 | 12,893 |
| 2019-2020 | 20,383 | 12,738 |
| 2020-2021 | 22,031 | 13,792 |
| 2021-2022 | 25,514 | 14,782 |
| 2022-2023 | 26,700 | 15,648 |
| 2023-2024 | 27,834 | 16,477 |
| 2024-2025 | 29,500+ | 17,500 |
| 2025-2026 | 31,000+ | Projected Growth |
Reasons for power crisis
Power crisis is not new in Bangladesh. Various factors cause this situation. The country requires 12,000–13,000 megawatts of electricity daily, but power plants generate only 8,500–9,000 megawatts on average. The lack of sufficient power generation plants and the shutdown of several plants disrupt power production and prevent it from meeting the demand. Moreover, poor maintenance has kept several power plants idle for a long time. Even the operational plants can shut down at any moment because outdated systems and excessive load weaken their efficiency.
Reasons for power crisis: Power crisis is not new in Bangladesh, and several factors contribute to this ongoing problem.
The daily demand for electricity in the country is 12,000-13,000 megawatts; but an average of 8,500-9,000 megawatts is being generated. Due to the lack of sufficient power generation plants in our country and the shutdown of power generation in several power plants, power generation is being disrupted and failing to meet the demand.Moreover, several power plants have been idle for a long time due to lack of proper maintenance. Even those that are operational can shut down at any moment due to outdated efficiency and excessive load.https://fariha.xyz/aids-what-symptoms-causes-prevention/
Steps to prevent an electricity shortage
The biggest reason for the power crisis in Bangladesh is that the demand for electricity is increasing, but the authorities have not increased power generation capacity as expected.Recently, the reduced electricity supply and the low production of power plants have worsened the country’s power situation. To solve this problem permanently, the country must increase its own production at any cost.The Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh has taken the following steps to solve the power problem:
- The government has formulated the ‘Power System Master Plan (PSMP)-2010’ as part of a far-reaching and integrated action plan for the development of the power sector.
- In addition to setting up gas-based power plants, the government has also taken a plan to set up new power plants using liquid fuel, coal, dual fuel, nuclear energy and renewable energy.
- The government and the private sector are setting up power plants through joint ventures through public-private partnerships and importing electricity from neighboring countries under sub-regional cooperation programs.
- The government has already brought 75 percent of the population under the power grid. The target of increasing this figure to 90 percent has been set in the 7th Five Year Plan.
- There are plans to set up 4,000 MW of coal-fired power plants by 2017 and 20,000 MW by 2030.
- According to the Power Generation Master Plan, a target of 24,000 MW of electricity generation has been set by 2021 and 39,000 MW by 2030.
- There are plans to set up 4,000 MW of nuclear power plants by 2030.