The interim government that replaced the Sheikh Hasina-led autocracy saw a rapid worsening of the country鈥檚 power crisis after India鈥檚 Adani power had shut down one of its two units each producing 748MW burning coal.
The Power Grid Company of Bangladesh said that power shortage reached 1,511MW at 1:00am on Wednesday when the electricity demand was 14,450MW in the country having an installed electricity generation capacity of 28,098MW.
Power Development Board officials said that Adani shut down one of its units on August 13 following a technical problem and that the unit might require four to five days to be brought back to operation.
The Adani power encountered the technical problem a day after India amended its power export rules paving the way for the electricity, which is generated in the plant built in India鈥檚 Godda and meant for exclusive export to Bangladesh, to be supplied in the domestic market.聽
Reuters reported on August 13 that the changes in the 2018 rules under which power plants were enabled to supply electricity exclusively to neighbouring countries empowered the plants to supply that electricity to the national grid for two reasons.
One of the reasons is 鈥榮ustained non-scheduling of full or part capacity鈥�, or if there is a delay in payments.
Bangladesh has faced immense difficulties in clearing its energy bills due to the dollar crisis lasting for more than two years now. Import of fuels and power overcapacity contributed greatly in triggering the dollar crisis.
It is the economic crisis that is believed to have caused widespread discontent and led to the mass uprising that toppled Haina government on August 5, leading her to flee to India.
The Adani power was completely shut on June 29 on the grounds of technical problems.
Regarding the June closure Power Development Board officials said that Bangladesh owed over $3 billion to power producers at home and abroad, including $500 million owed to the Adani Power.聽
The public relation agency representing Adani Power in Bangladesh said that the change in the export rules was brought by India on August 12.
鈥楾he amendment to India鈥檚 Power Export Guidelines is just an industry enabling universal provision for the exporting power stations in India to establish connection with the Indian grid,鈥� said a statement issued by the public relation agency.
鈥楾his does not affect the existing Power Purchase Agreement between Adani Power and Bangladesh Power Development Board,鈥� the statement said. Board member Khandaker Mokammel Hossain, who is in charge of power generation, said that they were studying implications of India鈥檚 power export rule change.
鈥楢dani Power reported a leakage in their plant and it usually takes a day to repair,鈥� he said, adding that the repair started after cooling down of the plant.
The newly built 1,200MW coal-fired Matarbari power plant has been out of operation since Saturday. Plant authorities told 抖阴精品 that they were inspecting both the units of the plant each with installed power generation capacity of 600MW.
The 1,224MW SS Power has one of its units in maintenance since July 31, said the power plant officials.
Power plants鈥� maintenance is prescheduled and a power plant鈥檚 both units going out of operation is not a normal incident.