Severe Gas Shortage Paralyses Mymensingh Power Station, Sparking Regional Blackouts

A prolonged gas deficit has forced the complete operational shutdown of the 210-megawatt Rural Power Company Limited (RPCL) power plant in Shambhuganj, leaving Mymensingh Division mired in a worsening energy crisis. The state-backed facility has remained entirely inactive for 26 consecutive days. Coupled with reduced output at two neighboring private power plants—both operating at less than half capacity—the stoppage has triggered widespread power outages, leaving rural communities and urban centers struggling under heavy load-shedding.

Responding to queries regarding the shutdown, AHM Rashed, Managing Director of RPCL Mymensingh, attributed the systemic fuel shortage to policy decisions under the former interim government led by Chief Advisor Dr Muhammad Yunus. According to Rashed, a 10,000 crore taka arrangement involving the United States regarding oil, gas, and mineral supplies encountered disruptions when US deliveries ceased, precipitating the current domestic fuel scarcity that brought generation at Shambhuganj to a halt.

Infrastructure Investment versus Fuel Scarcity

Constructed in 1997 at a cost of roughly 1,500 crore taka across three developmental phases, the Shambhuganj plant was designed to serve as a baseline power source for Mymensingh’s growing residential and industrial sectors. State-owned RPCL managed the generation project, while the Gas Transmission Company Limited (GTCL) installed the transmission pipelines to feed fuel directly to the turbines.

Despite the substantial capital investment, the facility has faced persistent fuel shortfalls for nearly two decades. Gas availability has declined steadily since 2007, preventing the plant from operating anywhere near its maximum design output.

• Capacity Decline: Prior to the total shutdown, generation at the 210-MW facility had plummeted to roughly 30–35 MW.

• Historical Plant Factors: Operational data reflects an ongoing deterioration, with plant factors sliding from 65–70 per cent in FY 2021–22 down to 45 per cent in FY 2022–23, followed by monthly outputs dropping below 40 MW during FY 2023–24.

Mounting Public Disruption and Economic Strain

The loss of generation capacity has created severe distribution deficits across Mymensingh Division. Rural areas report daily power cuts lasting between 12 and 15 hours, while residents in district towns face intermittent blackouts ranging from four to ten hours daily.

The disruptions have severely impacted local livestock farmers, small-scale enterprises, and household routines. Local residents report that frequent, prolonged power cuts—compounded by low gas pressure in domestic kitchens—have severely disrupted basic daily activities, education, and health conditions for vulnerable individuals during high heat.

RPCL officials indicated that generation at the Shambhuganj facility can resume promptly once natural gas allocations are restored to the grid, though no definitive timeline for fuel delivery has been announced.