Ramzan power crisis

The usual tool to bridge this shortage is popularly called "load management", a high sounding phrase; but actually it will be load shedding causing misery to the electricity consumers. The powers to be are not much concerned as they live in places where alternative residential power through captive gensets or UPS is assured. The discomfort and problems are felt by the average consumer who does not have the luxury of these sources and who are in the vast majority.

Coming as it is with Tata's demand of ensured gas supply prior to making investment is a realistic rational given the poor showing of gas sector in Bangladesh. Something needs to be done in the gas sector, soon, otherwise our "frail" country will be "frailer". One options in the long term could be to maximise utilisation of our coal resources towards power generation so that we have built in flexibility of fuel across the power sector, and divert gas to more profitable ventures.

In the short term there are proven and viable options, which in the writer's opinion could easily provide around 100 MW to greater Dhaka without needing a kilogram of coal or a cubic meter of gas. The investment will be only in plant, load distribution and management equipment. As these are small units, the gestation period is also very short, and if firmed up, a two-year time frame is very realistic. One wonders why this idea has not been picked up by our power sector as a cost effective approach to meet the ever-growing gap between demand and supply. May be the powers to be in the power sector have a mindset for mega power plants. No one is focused on to alternative energy sources which for a power starved and cash strapped country should get top priority. Developed countries consider and practice this option normally. Unfortunately to us it seems as farfetched as a moon landing!