Adani Power, the largest private power producer in India, has attributed the recent drop in electricity supply to Bangladesh to disruptions in coal transportation by rail, saying the shortage has forced its Godda plant to cut output, local media reported on September 2.

Severe railway congestion and multiple loading restrictions had hampered the movement of coal-laden rakes to the facility, leaving it with lower-than-normal fuel stocks, Adani Power Jharkhand Ltd (APJL) said in an official statement.

As a result, the plant has moderated power dispatch during off-peak daytime hours while prioritizing supply for the evening peak demand period, it said.

APJL said it had informed the Bangladesh Power Development Board of the situation and was coordinating with Indian Railways to restore normal rake availability soon.

It added that it expected conditions to normalize shortly and was taking all possible steps to maximize coal deliveries and minimize disruption to power supply.

The statement followed an address to parliament by State Minister for Power Aninda Islam Amit, who said the Godda plant was supplying around 900 MW during the day and roughly 1,100 MW in the evening, below the contracted level.

The reduced supply has deepened Bangladesh's ongoing energy crisis, with load-shedding exceeding 3 GW recently and the government forced to manage fuel shortages on an almost daily basis.

The minister also told parliament that a 660 MW unit at the Payra power plant was offline due to a technical fault, while a 600 MW unit at the Matarbari plant was under maintenance.

He said bringing those units back online quickly, along with normalizing fuel supply, would improve the overall power situation.

Sources said other coal-fired power plants in eastern and central India were facing similar shortages due to heavy rains, indicating a sector-wide problem rather than an isolated incident.

The Godda plant has a total capacity of 1.6 GW and is owned by the company of billionaire Gautam Adani, which signed an agreement with Bangladesh in 2017 to supply power from the coal-fired facility.

After the fall of the Awami League government, Adani Power halved its supply in October 2024 in an effort to recover nearly $850 million in outstanding dues.