Adani meets Bangladesh PM; fully commissions 1,600 MW project

After the meeting, Adani tweeted: “Honoured to have met Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina on full load commencement and handover of the 1600 MW Ultra Super-Critical Godda Power Plant. I salute the dedicated teams from India and Bangladesh who braved COVID to commission the plant in a record time of three-and-a-half years.” Adani Power Jharkhand Limited (APJL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Power Limited, completed the dependable capacity test for the Godda plant on July 12. The dependable capacity test, a mandatory requirement under the power purchase agreement (PPA) with Bangladesh, was conducted over the stipulated period of six hours to evaluate the simultaneous functioning of both units of the plant after they began supplying electricity.

On April 6, the first unit of 800 MW capacity of the Godda plant, in Jharkhand, began commercial operations. The second unit, also of 800 MW capacity, followed on June 26. The APJL will supply 1,496 MW from the Godda USCTPP under the PPA with the Bangladesh Power Development Board, executed in November 2017 for a period of 25 years, via a 400 KV dedicated transmission system connected to the Bangladesh grid.

The USCTPP’s commissioning in a record time of just 42 months after achieving financial closure and obtaining the necessary clearances is noteworthy given the logistical challenges the project encompassed, including the establishment of a 105 km-long 400 kV double circuit transmission line, the construction of a private railway line and the implementation of an extensive water pipeline from the Ganges, stated an official statement from Adani Group.

Electricity supplied from Godda will have a positive impact on Bangladesh’s power situation by replacing costly power generated by using liquid fuel. This transition will help Bangladesh reduce the average cost of power purchased. The Godda power plant is the first in India to have started operations with 100 per cent flue gas desulphurization (FGD), selective catalytic reconverter (SCR) and zero water discharge for minimising emissions and for environment-friendly operations in alignment with the norms set by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, the release added.