TDS Desk:

A technical fault at the Adani power plant in India has cut its electricity supply to Bangladesh by more than half, exacerbating pressure on the national grid amid an ongoing generation deficit.

One of the plant’s two units tripped around midnight on Thursday, according to officials at the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).

The facility was generating over 1,400 MW shortly before the unit went offline, with output subsequently plunging below 750 MW.

The setback comes shortly after the plant had ramped up generation following an improvement in coal supplies.

BPDB sources noted that output had been curtailed since 7 August after severe storms disrupted coal shipments.

Generation had gradually recovered towards the end of August, reaching around 900 MW during the day and up to 1,200 MW during peak evening hours, before crossing 1,400 MW on Thursday evening just prior to the fault.

The affected unit has an installed capacity of 800 MW.

Repair may take several days

Plant engineers informed BPDB officials that the failure occurred within the unit’s boiler. Sources indicate the boiler will require approximately 48 hours to cool down before technicians can safely initiate repairs, meaning full generation from the unit may not resume for several days.

Located at Godda in Indian state of Jharkhand, the Adani facility comprises two 800 MW units with a combined capacity of 1,600 MW. Bangladesh signed a power purchase agreement with Adani in 2017 to import electricity from the plant, which has previously supplied over 1,500 MW when requested.

Load-shedding intensifies

The loss of generation at the Adani plant coincides with operational and fuel supply bottlenecks across several domestic power stations. BPDB sources reported that ongoing natural gas shortages have reduced output from gas-fired plants by up to 1,500 MW, whilst several coal-fired facilities are also running below capacity due to depleted fuel stocks.

In Patuakhali, one unit of the Payra power plant remains offline due to a technical failure, while a secondary plant in the same district faces acute coal shortages. Similarly, the Rampal power plant in Bagerhat has been forced to scale back output due to inadequate coal deliveries.

The cumulative deficit has triggered widespread load-shedding across Bangladesh. Peak power cuts reached 3,557 MW at 3:00 pm on Thursday, with over 2,500 MW of load-shedding recorded on Friday morning despite lower holiday demand. The sudden disruption at the Adani plant leaves grid operators with minimal flexibility to manage the country’s severe power shortfall.