Dhaka: The supply of Indian electricity to Bangladesh has increased rapidly, following increasing demand in the country. Currently, 17.13% of the total electricity produced in Bangladesh is coming from India, with the majority of it being supplied by the Adani Group.
Asked about importing electricity from India, Bangladesh's Power Development Board (PDB) member (Production) Zahirul Islam said: “April and May are summer and irrigation seasons, making electricity supply a major challenge for us during this time. We try to increase production from every possible source. The increase in electricity supply from India is also for the same reason. As demand has risen, the supply has increased,” the Dhaka Tribune reported.
He added: “Electricity import from India depends on the contract... As long as the electricity is available under the agreement and we need it, we will ask for it. Besides this, there are plans to increase production at several other power plants.”
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Electricity exports by India to Bangladesh had reduced recently, particularly by the Adani Group which cut off half its supply to Dhaka due to non-payment of its long-pending dues. However, Bangladesh has managed to clear the payments.
According to the website of the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB), on Monday at 1pm, 1303 megawatts of electricity came from Adani, 907 megawatts via the Bheramara HVDC, and 42 megawatts through Tripura.
However, during peak hours at night, the amount of electricity imported increases further. On Monday, during the peak hour or evening, electricity coming from Adani was between 1360 and 1366 megawatts per hour. Through the HVDC substation, 915 megawatts was received. Additionally, the import from Tripura increased by 2 to 4 megawatts.
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Currently, Bangladesh has the capacity to import a total of 2560 megawatts of electricity from India. Out of this, 2252 megawatts is being imported. This is reportedly the highest in history.
The demand for electricity in Bangladesh is generally the highest from mid-April to June. Based on this, in the next seven to 10 days, if the temperature rises, demand will also increase due to increased use of coolers, fans, and air conditioners. However, if it rains, demand may decrease, as electricity-related sufferings may not increase significantly.
