Load shedding rises as power generation from Adani, Matarbari disrupted

Load shedding has increased in Bangladesh as electricity supply from India's 1,600-megawatt (MW) Adani power plant remained halted for 17 hours while a coal shortage forced the 1,200MW Matarbari power plant to reduce electricity generation.

Electricity supply from the Adani power plant resumed at 6:15pm today (12 April) as the plant's first unit resumed operation, officials at the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) told TBS.

The supply was fully shut down at 1am today following a cycle of technical glitches in the Air Preheater, resulting in the short supply of electricity for at least 1,300-1,400MW in national demand of around 15,000MW, the officials said.

The Adani-owned power plant at Godda in India's Jharkhand has two units with 800MW each, with a combined capacity of 1,600MW. The first unit started commercial operation on 7 April 2023 under a power purchase agreement in 2017.

The first unit of 800MW capacity went out of operation on 8 April after detecting leakage in the Air Preheater, a component to make air hotter before entering the boiler to burn coal to produce electricity.

Since then, the BPDB received around 650-700MW from the second unit, but it also went out of operation at around 1am Friday.

Speaking to TBS today, BPDB Member (Generation) Md Zahurul Islam said, "When the first unit stopped production, we were assured by Adani of running the first unit within 4-5 days, but this is not happening. Now the second unit also went out of production from Friday midnight. We expect the full production within 4-5 days."

The BPDB officials said Petrobangla was instructed to ensure an increased supply from gas-fired power plants to fill the void created by the Adani power plant.

Matarbari power plant

The Ultra Super Critical coal-fired Matarbari power plant suffered coal supply problems caused by the rejection of a contaminated coal shipment.

On 11 April, the plant's electricity output dropped sharply to just 162 megawatts, a significant decline from its usual range of 800–1,000 MW, based on load requests from the National Load Dispatch Centre of the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB). 

An analysis of PGCB data between 6 and 12 April shows that the plant's generation consistently hovered between 150MW and 162MW, raising concerns about power stability in key regions.

Located in Cox's Bazar, the Matarbari power plant plays a critical role in supplying electricity to Chattogram and parts of Dhaka. The sharp decline in output may lead to increased load-shedding in these areas.

What caused coal shortage

Asked about the matter, BPDB Chairman Md Rezaul Karim said, "We are currently facing a coal shortage due to a disruption in supply after a shipment was rejected for contamination."

He added, "We had to send back a coal-laden vessel intended for this plant after detecting impurities in the cargo, which has now disrupted the supply chain."

Earlier on 17 March, when a coal-laden ship with 63,000 tonnes docked at Chittagong Port for unloading but it was sent back due to the heavy presence of foreign materials like stone, mud, reddish particles and excessive water in the coal. This was the 11th shipment.

The Chittagong Port Authority failed to unload the coal as the conveyor belt used to unload coal from ships frequently got stuck and broken. 

A consortium of Meghna Group's sister concern UCIL and Indian Aditya Birla group's sister concern AGBT has been supplying coal to the Matarbari power plant since November 2024. 

The coal was transported aboard the Singapore-flagged MV Orient Orchid operated by the Meghna Group of Companies.