Cyclone Mocha: Power outage across Bangladesh as gas supply from 2 LNG terminals suspended

    Originally posted in Dhaka Tribune on 13 May 2023

    Load shedding has increased across Bangladesh including Dhaka as the government decided to suspend gas supply from two floating LNG terminals in Moheshkhali on Friday night due to the incoming Cyclone Mocha.

    Two distribution companies, Dhaka Electric Supply Company Ltd (Desco) and Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC), are jointly managing load shedding of approximately 800 megawatts.

    Meanwhile, the Power Development Board (PDB) has expressed sorrow over the power crisis.

    Two distribution companies have already started load shedding in Dhaka due to low power generation.

    In their press release issued on Saturday, PDB said that Mocha may hit Cox’s Bazar and other places in Bangladesh on Sunday. In order to keep the electricity situation normal, customers may experience a temporary power outage. Power generation, distribution and transmission systems are disrupted in many ways during disasters.

    Gas supply from two floating terminals of liquefied natural gas (LNG) remain suspended from 11pm on Friday due to the impact of the super cyclone Mocha, said a press release of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.

    As a result, gas supply to the Chittagong and Comilla regions will be disrupted on Saturday, said the release.

    As a consequence, operation of gas-fired power stations will remain off or partially closed in Chittagong, Megnaghat, Haripur and Siddhirganj areas.

    State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid regretted the temporary inconvenience.

    Gas and power supply will be normal as soon as possible, he said.

    Dhaka Electric Supply Company (Desco) Managing Director Kawsar Ameer Ali said that Desco is in a lot of trouble due to reduced power generation for the gas crisis. For this, 322 MW loadshedding has to be done during the day.

    The area under Desco now has a demand of 1,157 and getting electricity is 835 MW.

    He said that loadshedding will be reduced at night.

    Meanwhile, DPDC said that their total electricity demand is 1,678 MW. But 1,200 MW is being supplied out of this as production is low. About 478 MW loadshedding has started.