If India withdraws its support, Bangladesh will be plunged into darkness, Gautam Adani has the 'switch' of electricity!
Escalating tensions with India could prove costly for Bangladesh, as India controls its electricity supply. Amid severe gas and coal shortages, electricity from India has become a lifeline. India accounts for 17% of Bangladesh's total supply, with Adani Power alone providing 1,500 megawatts of electricity daily.
Bangladesh is currently facing a severe energy crisis. Amidst the current political turmoil and anti-India rhetoric, the harsh reality is that India largely holds the reins of Bangladesh's "light."
If diplomatic relations sour even slightly and trade is affected, a large part of the neighboring country could be plunged into darkness. The situation is such that India has become not just a neighbor but a "lifeline" for Bangladesh's electricity supply.
India contributes 17 units of electricity out of every 100 units
Bangladesh 's own government data reveals the extent to which Bangladesh's dependence on India for electricity has increased. Compared to last year, electricity imports from India have increased by nearly 70 percent.
This means that India's share of Bangladesh's total electricity consumption has now reached 17 percent, up from just 9.5 percent recently. This means that for every 100 bulbs currently lit in Bangladesh, 17 are powered by electricity supplied from India.
Currently, under cross-border agreements, Bangladesh receives an average of 2,200 to 2,300 megawatts of electricity from India every day.
Supply depends on Adani's 'power'
The biggest name in this entire supply chain is Gautam Adani's company, Adani Power. The largest portion of electricity flowing from India to Bangladesh, approximately 1,496 megawatts, is supplied from Adani Power's Godda plant in Jharkhand alone.
The magnitude of this figure can be gauged from the fact that it represents a significant portion of Bangladesh's total needs. Government and private companies like NTPC and PTC India also contribute to the supply, but Adani Power's share is the most significant. Therefore, if this supply chain is disrupted due to technical or political reasons, the balance of Bangladesh's grid is bound to be disrupted.
Domestic gas and coal also left
There was a time when Bangladesh generated two-thirds of its electricity from domestic natural gas. But now, technical problems and low pressure issues at its gas wells have become common.
Officials at the Bangladesh Power Development Board admit that many of their plants are unable to operate at full capacity due to the gas shortage.
On the other hand, due to maintenance, the production of coal-fired power plants has also declined from 30% to 26%. Despite increased LNG imports, power generation has declined.
This is why failing domestic resources have made Bangladesh dependent on expensive but reliable electricity from India. Energy experts believe that it will be difficult for Bangladesh to meet this shortage on its own in the near future, meaning that India will remain the "master switch" for electricity for the time being.
Gautam Adani
Bangladesh