Electricity demand is not increasing
The demand for electricity in the country has been decreasing for the past few years. According to data from the Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB), electricity demand has been on a downward trend since 2022. In 2024, the demand in the summer season was 3 percent lower than the same period of the previous year. So far in the current 2025, the average demand has increased by only 0.26 percent.
That is, it is believed that the demand for electricity is not increasing this year either. Those concerned say that the demand for electricity is not increasing due to stagnation in the industrial sector in the country. Because the dynamics of the industrial sector are considered to be the major determinant of the increase in electricity demand.
According to PDB data, the total generation capacity of the power sector in the country was supposed to be 31 thousand megawatts this year. But the reality is that the actual generation capacity of electricity this year has stood at 18 thousand megawatts. Although on paper, the Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) says that their generation capacity is 26 thousand megawatts. However, in response to a recent question, Energy Advisor Faozul Kabir Khan said that although the PDB talks about a generation capacity of 26,000 MW, the actual generation capacity is 18,000 MW.
Meanwhile, despite talking about a generation capacity of 18,000 MW, it is not possible to produce even that due to the energy crisis and financial crisis. As a result, the Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) has planned electricity generation this year, showing that the demand in January was 11,226 MW, which was 10,717 MW last year. Last year, it was 11,600 MW in February, 14,500 MW in March, and 16,400 MW in April. This year, this demand has been set at 13,130 MW in February, 15,700 MW in March, and 18,000 MW in April.
PDB analyzed the data and showed that the demand for electricity in 2021 increased by 18 percent compared to 2020. Then in 2022, the demand for electricity increased by only 5 percent. In 2023, the demand increased by 10 percent. But in March-April 2024, the demand decreased by minus 3 percent. In the same period in 2025, the demand increased by only zero.26 percent.
When asked about the reason for the decrease in demand for electricity, several senior officials of the PDB, who did not want to be named, told our time that it is not true that the demand for electricity has decreased. Basically, there is a crisis in electricity production and supply. The official said that although there is a demand for electricity, since it is not possible to supply according to the demand, a demand forecast has been made that can be supplied. The official said that the rapid demand for electricity is created by the expansion of the industrial sector. Now the demand for electricity in the industrial sector is largely stagnant. As a result, the plan of 31 thousand by 2025 was not implemented.
Meanwhile, the average demand for electricity last year was 17 thousand megawatts. The average electricity generation was 15 thousand megawatts. On April 30 last year, the highest electricity generation was 16 thousand 477 megawatts. In 2023, the highest average daily electricity production was in September, at 13,208 MW. And the average production fell to its lowest in January, at 9,600 MW. In measuring electricity demand, the highest (peak hour) and lowest (off-peak hour) production of a specific period are usually considered. Usually, the peak hour of electricity is from evening to 11 pm. The highest electricity production is during this time.
In this year’s power generation plan, the PDB has shown that the electricity demand will be 18,000 MW in May, after which the demand will gradually decrease. 17,860 MW in June, 17,600 MW in July, 17,200 MW in August, 17,210 MW in September, 16,280 MW in October, 14,310 MW in November, and 12,210 MW in December.
Do Follow: greenbanglaonline24
