Adani’s unit resumes power supply as Rampal’s unit shuts down - Prothom Alo English
Adani power plantFile photoAdani’s power plant had been generating electricity at reduced capacity for a month due to a coal shortage. Then, around midnight last Wednesday, one of the plant’s units shut down due to a technical fault.
This further reduced power generation and increased load-shedding across the country. Today, Sunday, the plant restarted the unit and began increasing generation from noon.
Sources at the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and Power Grid Company said electricity supply from Adani’s second unit began at noon. Earlier, at around 11:30 am, one unit of the Rampal power plant in Bagerhat had shut down due to a technical problem. As a result, the plant’s electricity generation fell by half.
The Rampal power plant, built as a joint venture between India and Bangladesh, is coal-fired. Its generation had previously fallen due to a coal shortage. It now has sufficient coal in stock. The plant had been generating more than 1,100 megawatts but now, it has now fallen to below 600 megawatts.
A reliable official at the Rampal power plant told Prothom Alo that efforts were underway to determine the cause of the shutdown. They were trying to restore generation as soon as possible. There is sufficient coal in stock.
Earlier, Adani’s power plant had reduced generation from 7 August after coal supplies were disrupted by a storm. Towards the end of last month, it increased daytime generation to 900 megawatts.
From the evening until midnight, it was supplying up to 1,200 megawatts. Generation exceeded 1,400 megawatts on Wednesday night. However, after one unit shut down, generation fell to below 750 megawatts.
The coal-fired Adani power plant, built in India’s Jharkhand state, has a capacity of 1,600 megawatts. BPDB signed a power purchase agreement with Adani in 2017. The plant has two 800-megawatt units. Depending on demand, the plant has a record of supplying more than 1,500 megawatts.
Two officials associated with Adani’s power plant told Prothom Alo that a problem had developed in the boiler of one of the units. It was repaired early Sunday and prepared to resume generation. It began supplying electricity to the national grid around noon. Electricity supply from Adani’s plant has since started to increase.
Sources at BPDB and Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) said the combined electricity supply from Adani’s two units exceeded 850 megawatts around 1:00 pm. Earlier in the morning, the plant had been supplying a maximum of 760 megawatts. Supply could rise above 1,000 megawatts in the afternoon.
