Oil fired inefficient power plants will be closed down by the government within three years, stated the power department.

Currently, 4,488-megawatt power is being produced from furnace oil, which is 25 per cent of the total power production, and 2,205 megawatts from diesel, which is 11 per cent.

State minister for power Nasrul Hamid, said: “We will cease the operation of all small and inefficient plants within three years; at the beginning of the running year, the biggest power plant of the country 1,320 megawatt Pyra Plant is coming into production and so, the smaller ones can be shut down.”

As per PDB, the country currently has plants capable of producing 19,467 megawatts and of this; 18,944 megawatts can be produced though the demand at the moment is only 8702 megawatt.

Many of the power plants are not run through the capacity charge has to be paid and this may be Tk. 200.31 billion in 2020. Specialists feel that in such a situation, the country has to come out of oil-based power plants.

Specialists say that due to neglect in bringing large and viable plants into operation, the government is having difficulty coming out of oil-based plants.