Payment delays push power sector towards possible load-shedding

Bangladesh could face power supply disruptions if electricity generation from SS Power I Limited is halted due to unpaid bills exceeding Tk4,000 crore, the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has warned.

BPDB officials said even a partial suspension of the coal-fired power plant—which supplies more than 1,100 megawatts to the national grid—would immediately put pressure on electricity supply, despite lower demand during the winter season.

The warning follows a letter sent by SS Power to BPDB, in which the company said prolonged delays in bill payments have severely affected its ability to procure coal, spare parts and other essential operational materials. The company cautioned that at least one unit could be shut down unless outstanding payments are cleared by January 15.

BPDB member Md Jahurul Islam said managing the shortfall would be difficult if the plant goes offline. “A shutdown would create an instant supply gap,” he said. “Restarting idle power plants takes time, and gas-based plants cannot fill the void because gas availability is already limited.” He added that additional imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) would be required to stabilise supply.

Officials at the BPDB said the loss of a major baseload power source at this stage would significantly increase the risk of load-shedding, particularly as alternative generation options are already operating under constraints.

BPDB’s Chattogram East Zone Superintendent Engineer AKM Jashim Uddin said electricity demand remains relatively low for now but warned the situation could deteriorate if the dispute persists into the summer months. “Summer demand ranges between 15,000 and 16,000 megawatts, while winter demand falls to around 8,000 to 10,000 megawatts,” he said.

Gas supply to power plants remains critically low. According to Petrobangla data, power plants received only 700 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas on January 4, against a requirement of 2,525 mmcfd. Supply had fallen further to 662 mmcfd the previous day.

Bangladesh currently operates 152 public and private power plants and also imports electricity from India and Nepal. BPDB data show that on January 5, electricity demand stood at 10,542 megawatts, while total generation, including imports, reached 10,068 megawatts.

Although BPDB typically publishes daily updates on power generation and load-shedding, no such data have been released since December 28. As of January 4, a total of 33 power plants remained shut for maintenance.

Meanwhile, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan sought to downplay concerns about load-shedding, saying there had been no official declaration.

“Temporary supply interruptions should not be confused with load-shedding,” he said. “Short shutdowns for repair and maintenance are necessary to ensure a stable electricity supply during the summer.”