TDS Desk:

Power supply from the coal-based Adani Group power plant located in Godda, Jharkhand, India has been completely shut down due to technical faults.

The plant consists of two units, each with a capacity of 800 megawatts.

Production from the first unit stopped on 8 April, and the second unit shut down around 1:00am on Friday night. This has resulted in a shortfall in electricity supply.

According to sources at Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) and Power Development Board (PDB), if supply from the Adani plant does not resume, load shedding may worsen starting Sunday. PDB has requested additional gas supply from Petrobangla to address the shortage.

Officials at PGCB and PDB confirmed with Journalist that the Adani plant previously supplied up to 1,400 megawatts of electricity to the national grid. Even after 8 April, more than 750 megawatts were being supplied—until the complete shutdown. One unit is expected to be restarted by Saturday evening.

There have been disputes over the price of coal used at the Adani plant, and discussions between Adani and PDB are ongoing. Adani has also demanded payment of outstanding dues on several occasions. Last year, the company temporarily stopped power supply once. After regular bill payments resumed, one unit was reactivated. In February, PDB requested full resumption of supply, and by early March, both units were supplying power.

PGCB and PDB sources said that, since Saturday is a weekend, electricity demand is slightly lower than usual. As of 1:00pm, the peak demand reached 13,500 megawatts, during which 300 megawatts of load shedding was carried out. If supply from the Adani plant doesn’t resume, load shedding is expected to increase further from Sunday. PDB has requested more gas from Petrobangla to cover the deficit.

PDB member (Generation) Md Zahurul Islam told Journalist Adani is trying to repair the plant’s technical issues. Efforts are being made to restart the first unit as soon as possible. Additional power is being generated from oil-based plants to bridge the gap, and a request has been made for increased gas supply. If the necessary fuel is available, production can meet demand.

The Adani coal-fired plant has a total capacity of 1,600 megawatts, consisting of two 800-megawatt units. Bangladesh has committed to purchasing electricity from the plant for 25 years. Commercial production from the first unit began in April 2023, and the second in June 2023. PDB signed a power purchase agreement with Adani in 2017. A government-formed interim committee is currently reviewing the terms of this agreement.