Adani electricity to come in mid-March

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has said electricity supply to Bangladesh from the Godda coal-fired power plant, which is being constructed by India’s Adani Group in the Jharkhand state, will start in mid-March.

A dedicated transmission line has been constructed from Jharkhand to Bogura in Bangladesh, he told reporters after visiting the 1,600MW plant on Tuesday, said a press release sent by the energy ministry.

Power Division Secretary Habibur Rahman and Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) Chairman Mahbubur Rahman were present during the visit.    

Nasrul said 750MW electricity could be available from the plant’s first unit by mid-March but more electricity is needed in the upcoming summer.

“We are also looking for alternative fuel sources to produce cheap electricity and working on providing uninterrupted power supply.”

The Godda plant is being constructed under an agreement signed between BPDB and Adani Power Limited in November 2017.

Importing electricity from the first unit of the plant was supposed to start on December 16 last year. However, it did not happen.

Importing Adani electricity has raised controversy in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Working Group on External Debt (BWGED) says this power will be bought with 37 per cent more money than that produced in local coal-fired plants.

Per unit electricity cost will stand at Tk 16, which is too much, while BPDB will have to pay huge capacity payment over the next 25 years, said BWGED.