The Impact of COVID-19 Outbreak on the Power Sector in Bangladesh: A Strategic Adoption for Any Pandemic Condition

Abstract

In this research all the data sets were gathered
during the COVID-19 outbreak. The study presented, however, is
applicable to any pandemic scenario in Bangladesh or elsewhere.
The lockdown has significantly reduced the demand for power
worldwide and altered the makeup of the load and the daily load
profile. This is because many offices have switched to home office
strategy, which has shortened the operating schedule of many
businesses. Considering this, many countries' adoption of
lockdown measures to halt the spread of COVID-19 abruptly
changed socioeconomic operations, including the power
generation industries. To better understand the pandemic's
impact on Bangladesh's fossil-fuel based power sector, this study
examines renewable energy technologies' roles in creating climate
resilient, sustainable energy routes. Research was done for the
pandemic lockdown in 2020. Due to the lockdown situation, the
power sector witnessed increased overcapacity, and revenue
losses. This study looked at the implications on energy demand,
load profiles, generation, consumption, generating mix, and
expansion of renewable electricity generation. In addition, a
suitable generation mix for Bangladesh has been suggested. This
sector's resilience has also been assessed to overcome the pandemic
crisis and any future pandemic-like emergency. In this research, a
well-organized examination of the existing power sector overall
plan has also been proposed, focusing on clean energy led power
sector development.