Adani unit halts production
The country is facing intensifying electricity shortages as rising temperatures push up demand while fuel constraints and technical disruptions limit power generation, officials said.
The Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) has been struggling to maintain supply in line with demand, resulting in load shedding exceeding 2,000 megawatts during several hours of the day.
The situation worsened this week after a unit of Adani Power went out of operation due to a technical fault.
According to PDB and company sources, engineers detected a warning signal in the bearing of one unit at Adani’s coal-fired plant in Jharkhand, India, shortly after midnight on Tuesday.
The issue was identified through abnormal sound, prompting an immediate shutdown to prevent a major accident.
PDB Member (Generation) Md Jahurul Islam said the unit may remain offline for several days. “Due to the technical fault, production from one unit has stopped,” he said.
The Adani plant, built under a 2017 power purchase agreement, has a total capacity of 1,600 megawatts, with two units of 800 megawatts each. In recent days, it had been supplying around 1,500 megawatts to Bangladesh.
Following the shutdown of one unit, output has dropped to around 750–770 megawatts, further tightening supply.
The disruption comes amid a broader fuel crisis triggered by volatility in global energy markets following the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East on February 28.
Shortages of coal, natural gas and fuel oil have constrained generation across multiple plants in Bangladesh.
On Wednesday, peak electricity demand reached 15,690 megawatts, while generation fell short, forcing load shedding of around 2,500 megawatts, according to PDB data.
Officials said outages increased from the afternoon as temperatures rose and could intensify further during evening peak hours.
To mitigate the shortfall, authorities are trying to ramp up production from furnace oil-based plants and are considering bringing diesel-fired units online, despite higher costs.
Data from Power Grid Bangladesh PLC (PGCB) shows that of the country’s 136 power plants, 13 are idle due to gas shortages, nine due to lack of fuel oil, and eight for maintenance.
Of the remaining facilities, 17 are solar plants that do not generate power at night, while five diesel-based plants are kept offline due to high operational costs.
Gas-based plants, which have a capacity of about 12,200 megawatts, are currently producing only around 5,200 megawatts because of fuel constraints.
Although demand has crossed 16,000 megawatts with the onset of early summer heat, total generation remains between 13,000 and 14,000 megawatts, making regular load shedding unavoidable.
The situation is further complicated by ongoing tensions between the PDB and Adani over payments and coal pricing.
The Indian company recently urged the government to settle outstanding dues promptly, warning that delays could affect uninterrupted power supply.
A dispute also persists over the pricing of coal used at the plant, with Adani billing at higher rates while PDB seeks to pay based on prevailing market prices. A writ petition challenging the agreement is currently under review by the High Court.
In January, a contract review committee formed by the interim government reported evidence of irregularities and corruption in the Adani power deal and its procurement process. International legal experts appointed by the Power Division are now examining the agreement.
Under the 2017 deal, Bangladesh is committed to purchasing electricity from the Adani plant for 25 years, making it a critical component of the country’s power supply—now under strain as demand surges and generation falters.
