Fuel Crisis Shuts 6 Khulna Power Plants; Severe Load-Shedding Hits Region

Six out of ten power plants in the Khulna region have suspended operations due to a severe fuel shortage triggering widespread load-shedding.

The crisis fueled by global energy market instability following Middle East tensions has slashed the region's electricity production by more than half.

The affected facilities include the Khulna 330MW, Faridpur 50MW, and Rupsha 105MW plants, among others. While the coal-based Rampal Thermal Power Plant remains operational, it cannot meet the summer peak demand of 1,600MW. Consequently residents are facing three to five hours of daily power outages.

Experts warn that Bangladesh’s heavy reliance on the Strait of Hormuz the transit point for nearly 80% of the country's crude oil leaves the energy sector highly vulnerable. With furnace oil power costing Tk 18 per unit compared to Tk 9 for solar advocates are calling for an immediate shift to renewables.

The Forum for Environment and Development (FED) suggests that utilizing 40 million household rooftops could generate 16,000MW of solar power securing national energy interests.