Power Supply from Adani Plant to Bangladesh Comes to a Halt

Electricity supply from India’s Adani Power Plant to Bangladesh has come to a complete halt following technical malfunctions at the plant, intensifying the country’s ongoing power crisis. Officials from the Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) and Power Grid Company of Bangladesh PLC (PGCB) confirmed the development.

The disruption began when the first of the plant’s two 800-megawatt (MW) units was forced to shut down on April 8 due to operational issues. Matters worsened when the second unit also ceased operations around 12:45am early today, said ABM Badiuzzaman, Public Relations Officer of PGCB.

"There are technical glitches in the power plant," Badiuzzaman stated, without elaborating on the specifics of the fault.

With both units offline, Bangladesh has lost a major chunk of its imported electricity supply from India. The Adani Power Plant, located in Jharkhand, has been a crucial contributor to meeting Bangladesh’s growing power demand, especially during peak seasons.

According to PGCB data, the abrupt disconnection has pushed the national power deficit to approximately 500 MW—the highest load-shedding figure recorded this year. Consumers across multiple regions have already started experiencing frequent outages, and the situation may deteriorate further if the issue persists.

A senior official from the PDB, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged the gravity of the situation. "Engineers from the plant are working around the clock to resolve the problem, but until they restore operations, the power shortage is likely to deepen," the official warned.

The timing of the disruption is particularly concerning, as Bangladesh is already grappling with rising temperatures and increased electricity consumption due to the summer heat. Industrial zones and residential areas alike are feeling the impact of prolonged power cuts, raising concerns over productivity losses and public discomfort.

Energy experts have pointed out that Bangladesh’s growing reliance on imported power, especially from single large plants like Adani’s, makes the national grid vulnerable to such disruptions. They stressed the need for diversified energy sources and improved maintenance protocols to prevent similar crises in the future.

The Adani Power Plant began supplying electricity to Bangladesh under a long-term agreement as part of efforts to bolster energy cooperation between Dhaka and New Delhi. Since its commissioning, it has played a pivotal role in stabilizing Bangladesh’s power supply, particularly during periods of high demand.

As of now, there is no confirmed timeline for restoring power from the Adani facility. Both PDB and PGCB are closely monitoring the situation and are in constant communication with their Indian counterparts to expedite repairs.

Meanwhile, authorities are urging consumers to use electricity judiciously to help manage the supply gap. Load-shedding schedules are expected to be revised if the outage continues.

The incident has once again brought to the forefront the vulnerabilities in Bangladesh’s energy security and the urgent need to enhance domestic generation capacity. Until then, the country remains at the mercy of unpredictable external supply shocks.