Power supply from Adani Power’s Godda plant has fallen below 800MW after one of its two generating units was forced to shut down due to a technical problem, putting further pressure on Bangladesh’s already strained electricity supply.
The Indian power plant supplied an average of around 748MW on Thursday, with only Unit-1 in operation.
Before Unit-2 went offline at around 11pm on September 9, Adani Power was supplying approximately 1,430MW to Bangladesh. The supply dropped to 758MW at midnight following the shutdown.
The plant has played a crucial role in meeting Bangladesh’s electricity demand during the summer, with its supply at times exceeding 1,400MW.
The latest disruption comes as the country is already struggling to bridge the widening gap between power demand and supply.
At 3am on Thursday, the national grid supplied 12,907MW against demand of 15,776MW, leaving a shortfall of 2,869MW.
With Adani’s supply reduced by roughly half, the situation could deteriorate further, particularly during peak demand hours.
Md Zahurul Islam, member for production at the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), said a feed unit of the main water supply system associated with Adani’s Unit-2 had developed a problem, forcing the unit to shut down around 1am on September 10.
“Adani informed us that the feed unit malfunctioned and became excessively hot, which prompted the forced shutdown,” he said.
According to the BPDB, the unit must first cool down before repair work can begin, and resolving the problem may take three to four days.
The feed unit, also known as a boiler feed pump, is a critical component of a thermal power plant. It continuously pumps high-pressure water into the steam boiler.
Any malfunction in the system can affect boiler operation and force the generating unit to shut down as a safety measure.
The latest technical problem follows a series of disruptions affecting Adani’s power supply in recent weeks.
The plant previously reduced generation due to severe congestion on the railway network, which disrupted coal transportation to the Godda plant.
Adani Power had said restrictions on coal transportation and loading affected coal availability, prompting it to optimise generation and prioritise supply during evening peak hours.
Adani Power’s Godda plant has two units, each with an installed capacity of 800MW. However, its combined actual generation capacity is around 1,496MW.
