No Concerns On Power Supply From Adani Group’s Plant: Bangladesh Minister

Bangladesh has no concerns about Adani Group’s ability to supply power from a plant in Jharkhand, said Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, Adviser to the country’s Prime Minister on energy.

Speaking on sidelines of the India Energy Week in Bengaluru, Mr Chowdhury, who holds ministerial rank, said talks with Adani Group on the supply are private and can’t be made public.

“Electricity will come very timely. Summer peak is coming and that 600 MW of Adani Power is very helpful,” he said.

Adani Power’s Godda thermal plant in Jharkhand is “already in place,” he said. “So there is no reason to be concerned. people have gone and seen the plant.” There have been concerns about supply of power from Godda, which was set up to supply power to Bangladesh, as the transmission line that will carry the electricity wasn’t complete.

There were reports that Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has urged Adani Power for a discount on variable energy costs to compensate it for higher price of imported coal.

Adani Group is reportedly considering the proposal. An arm of Adani Power had inked a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) for 1,496 megawatts (MW) with BPDB for 25 years in 2018.

However, Adani Power has reportedly denied any request for revision of PPA for the project by the BPDB.

The BPDB had objected to coal price of $400 per tonne quoted in the PPA as very high and had urged Adani Power that the price should be around $250 per tonne.

The 1,600 MW (2X800 MW) ultra supercritical, coal-based thermal power plant at Godda (Jharkhand) is being set up by an Adani Power arm Adani Power (Jharkhand). First unit of 800-MW plant has been synchronised with the Bangladesh power grid.