A sudden technical outage at an Adani Group power plant in India has further strained Bangladesh’s already fragile electricity supply, intensifying load shedding across the country amid rising summer demand.
It was known that one of the two units at the Jharkhand-based coal-fired plant, which is dedicated to exporting power to Bangladesh, was shut down late Tuesday after engineers detected a warning signal in a critical bearing.
The precautionary shutdown was carried out to avoid a major mechanical failure, and the unit is expected to remain offline for several days, Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) Member (Generation) Md Zahurul Islam said on Wednesday.
The plant, with a total capacity of 1,600MW, had been supplying nearly 1,500MW in recent weeks. With one 800MW unit out of operation, power generation has dropped to around 750-770MW, significantly reducing electricity imports from India.
This disruption comes at a time when Bangladesh’s power sector is already under severe stress due to fuel shortages and global energy market volatility. Limited supplies of coal, gas and oil have curtailed domestic generation, widening the gap between demand and supply.
On Wednesday, peak demand reached about 15,690MW, while the system faced a shortfall of nearly 2,500MW, forcing extensive load shedding. Officials warned that outages could worsen during evening peak hours as temperatures continue to climb.
To manage the deficit, BPDB has increased reliance on costly furnace oil-based plants and is considering the use of diesel-powered generation units, which would further raise production costs.
Data from the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) show that several of the country’s 136 power plants remain out of operation due to gas shortages, fuel constraints and maintenance issues. Although installed gas-based capacity stands at around 12,200MW, actual generation has fallen to about 5,200MW due to inadequate gas supply. Solar plants, which contribute during daylight hours, are unable to support demand after sunset.
Currently, total generation fluctuates between 13,000MW and 14,000MW, while demand has exceeded 16,000MW with the onset of summer, making widespread load shedding unavoidable.
The situation is further complicated by ongoing financial disputes between BPDB and Adani Power. The Indian company has urged Bangladesh to settle outstanding payments, warning of potential disruptions if dues remain unpaid. Differences over coal pricing have also emerged, with both sides holding differing views on billing rates.
Meanwhile, the 2017 power purchase agreement between the two parties is under legal review over alleged irregularities, with international experts involved in the process.
Energy analysts say the combination of technical failures, fuel shortages and contractual tensions highlights Bangladesh’s vulnerability to external shocks, raising concerns over the stability of electricity supply in the coming months.
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