It will take another ten years to produce power with THE correct amount of fuel mixing, according to a research report by Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission, BERC. It says that in producing mixed fuel, a balance may come in 2030.
General manager of PDB, Mir Kausar Ali, said: “We are not renewing the oil run power plants once their utility ends and in this way, oil run plants are being phased out. The use of fuel which lowers costs, brings down the overall production expense. For example, if diesel is used, per unit power is Tk. 27 while for furnace oil, it’s Tk. 13 .”
For using coal to produce power, the cost is Tk. 6, for LNG Tk. 7 and for local gas, Tk. 2.5 to Tk. 3.
Since there is a gas crisis in the country, power has to be produced in many ways. The power system master plan says that 35 per cent of total power production is from coal, 45 per cent from gas and 10 per cent from LNG. From renewable fuel, 10 per cent will be produced. But now, oil and gas are more in use. BERC report says that by 2030, the objective set by the government is 46,598 megawatt.
Of this, 20,308 megawatt will be produced from LNG mixed gas, which is 44 per cent of total production. From coal, 14932 megawatts will be produced, which is 32 per cent and from oil-based plants, 5400 megawatt, which is 12 per cent of total production.
In addition, 3496 megawatts of power will be imported, which is 8 per cent of the demand. Power from water is 230 megawatt or 1 per cent. This indicates that Bangladesh will not be able to DO without oil-based power plants by 2030. In 2016, power from oil-based plants was 3692 megawatt and in 2019, IT stands at 7444 megawatts.
Next year, IT will become 7855 megawatts and continue to rise till 2022.
As per government objective, oil-based power production in 2023 will be 6787 megawatts and 5400 megawatts in 2030.
But such plans about power production depend on many circumstances and conditions.
BERC member Mizanur Rahman, says: “Fuel mixing is important in power production. Currently, oil predominates but this has to be brought down and the government is taking steps in that direction'.”