Bangladesh businesses and farmers hit by worsening power outages

Power shortages have worsened across Bangladesh, with average hourly load shedding reaching around 3,000 megawatts Sunday as electricity demand rebounded and gas and coal constraints limited generation.

Power Grid Company of Bangladesh data showed shortages rising from 335 megawatts Aug. 6 to 2,167 megawatts Aug. 8, according to the Daily Star.

Gas supply to power plants has recovered only to around 680 million cubic feet per day, compared with about 900 million before a July 21 disruption at a liquefied natural gas terminal in Cox’s Bazar.

Heavy rains have also disrupted coal handling at several plants.

The Power Development Board has increasingly relied on furnace-oil generation, which cost Tk 90 crore (approximately $7.27 million) Aug. 8.

Outages have disrupted shrimp farms, irrigation and factories. Some areas reported eight to 16 hours without electricity, while a Gazipur garment factory said it was losing three to four production hours daily.