Adani Power’s Godda thermal plant in Jharkhand, which supplies power exclusively to Bangladesh, exported only 12 million units (MU) of electricity on Friday, down 53 per cent from 26 MU four weeks ago. Cuts in power supply come as Bangladesh scrambles to pay over $800 million in dues to Adani Power amid a forex crisis. Until October 30, an average of 25 MU was supplied each day, which dropped drastically to 14 MU on October 31, data from the National Load Dispatch Centre (NLDC) showed. Then, between November 1 and November 7, daily electricity supply from Godda averaged 17 MU, before falling to 12 MU on November 8. The share of power supplied from Godda in Bangladesh’s total electricity consumption has also dropped from around 8.5 per cent a month ago to an average of 6 per cent over the last week, according to Power Grid Bangladesh data. The Adani Group did not respond when sought for a comment. In October, Bangladesh had cleared $96 million in dues and earlier this month, it issued a letter of credit worth $170 million, according to a Reuters report. "We are gradually paying the dues and will take alternative measures if anyone stops the supply. We will not let any power producer hold us hostage," Reuters quoted Bangladesh’s power and energy adviser Muhammad Fauzul Kabir Khan last week. Earlier, The Indian Express had reported that the Godda plant has received approval for a connection to the Indian grid via a substation in Bihar’s Lakhisarai. The connection will become operational only once Adani Power Jharkhand Ltd (APJL) constructs a 130-km transmission line and additional bays at the substation — a process APJL said could take “considerable time”. The Ministry of Power had recommended connectivity for the Godda plant on August 10, two days after Mohammad Yunus was sworn in as Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, citing “emerging geopolitical tensions in Bangladesh and outstanding payment dues,” according to documents. Just four days earlier, APJL had informed the ministry that allowing the plant to supply power to India would be “beneficial” when the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) does not schedule power due to low demand, default under the power purchase agreement (PPA), or geopolitical issues. On August 12, India’s Ministry of Power amended the Guidelines for Import/Export (Cross Border) of Electricity, allowing domestic plants exclusively supplying power to neighbouring countries — currently only Adani’s Godda plant — to sell power within India. That same day, the ministry directed power regulatory bodies, including the Central Transmission Utility of India Ltd (CTUIL), to draft a standard operating procedure for granting connectivity to such plants. The proposal for connectivity to Adani’s Godda plant was discussed and approved by CTUIL during a special consultation meeting on August 21. In July last year, industrialist Gautam Adani met with former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina following the full-load commencement of power supply from the Godda plant, which began supplying electricity to the neighbouring country in April 2023. The deal was agreed upon during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Dhaka in 2015. Activists in Bangladesh have repeatedly criticised the PPA signed between Adani and BPDB, arguing that the high cost of importing power from Godda is not economically viable for the country.
