5 power plants shut down in Sylhet

Flood water engulfed at least five power stations, forcing authorities to close the plants, said Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) chairman.

The affected plants are – state-owned Sylhet 225MW Combined Cycle Power Plant, 20MW Gas Turbine Power Plant, privately owned Energyprima 50MW Power Plant, 10MW Rental Power Plant of Desh Energy and Shahjahanullah 25MW Power Plant under the Rural Electrification Board, according to the officials of power development board.

All of the stations are gas-based, and their closure has also affected the use of the internet and mobile phones in the areas.

“Production has been suspended in five stations. We are monitoring the Sylhet flood situation. As the situation improved, the Kumargaon power sub-station resumed operation,” Engineer Md Mahbubur Rahman, PDB chairman, told the Business Insider Bangladesh on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Petrobangla officials said the power plants are risk-free from being inundated as those are located on a higher position than the ground, and preventive measures have already been taken.

Among the 22 gas fields across the country, eight of them are in Sylhet region.

As per the Petrobangla gas production report on Sunday, it was found that 1,605 million cubic feet gas was supplied to the national grid from the eight gas field.

Sylhet produces 70 percent of the total gas of the country while the sole production of the Bibiana Gas Field is more than 1,500 million cubic feet.

Petrobangla Chairman Nazmul Ahsan told Business Insider Bangladesh that there are fewer chances of the Sylhet gas fields to get affected by the flood.

“We have already taken advance preventive measures to tackle the flood and monitoring the situation,” he said.

Md Mizanur Rahman, Sylhet Gas Field managing director, told the correspondent that there would be no problem in generating gas amid the flood.

"As the gas fields are located a bit above the ground, the flood is yet to affect them. The production is still normal,” said Rahman.

Jahidur Rahman, communications manager (corporate affairs) at Chevron Bangladesh, said, “The production in Bibiana gas field is underway normally. Necessary measures have been taken to prevent flood”.