It could be very costly for Bangladesh to mess with India. Especially when the power supply of Bangladesh is in the hands of India. Severe shortage of gas, problems in maintenance of coal plants and increasing consumption have put Bangladesh in such a situation that the electricity coming from India (Bangladesh electricity crisis) has become its lifeline.
The situation is such that if there is even a slight interruption in supply, a large part of the country can be plunged into darkness. The special thing is that Bangladesh gets maximum electricity supply from only one Indian company and that is Gautam Adani’s Adani Power (adani power supply bangladesh), which alone supplies about 1500 MW every day (india power export bangladesh). In such a situation, sharp statements and political poison against India may prove costly for Bangladesh.
How much electricity is India supplying per 100 units?
According to Bangladesh government data, electricity import from India has increased by about 70% compared to last year. In the seven months till July, this import increased so much that India’s share in Bangladesh’s total electricity supply increased from 9.5% to 17%. This means that out of every 100 units of electricity in a day, India is supplying about 17 units of electricity.
How much electricity does Bangladesh take from India?
Bangladesh has the potential to import about 2,800-3,000 megawatts (MW) of power from India under existing cross-border agreements. In recent months, an average of 2,200-2,300 MW of electricity is being taken from India per day. This is about 15-17% of the total requirement of Bangladesh.
Which companies in India supply electricity?
Gautam Adani’s Adani Power is the largest supplier, which supplies electricity from the Godda coal plant in Jharkhand.
- Adani Power – 1,496 megawatt (MW) electricity per day:
- NTPC/NVVN- 740 MW
- PTC India Ltd – 250 MW
- Sembcorp Energy India Ltd (SEIL) – 170-250 MW
Why is Bangladesh most dependent on India for electricity?
There was a time when about two-thirds of Bangladesh’s electricity was generated from natural gas. But now there are technical problems and pressure problems in gas supply. According to a senior official of Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), many gas-based plants are not able to run at full capacity. For this reason, the government has to either switch to fuel oil or import expensive but reliable electricity from India.
Coal and LNG are also not able to help fully
Due to maintenance, coal based power generation has decreased from 30.1% to 26.2%. Even though there has been an increase of 24% in LNG imports, despite this there has been a decline of 1.2% in the electricity generated from gas. It is clear that domestic resources are not able to meet the demand at present.
Energy experts believe a major comeback in gas-based generation is unlikely in the near future. In such a situation, electricity dependence on India may remain. This is the reason why any strong statement against India or sourness in relations can directly pose a threat of power crisis for Bangladesh. In simple words, a big button of electricity switch is currently in the hands of India.