Adani meets Hasina on whirlwind tour
FE REPORT | Sunday, 16 July 2023
Indian Adani Group founder and chairman Gautam Adani met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on a sudden tour
of Dhaka on Saturday morning.
Power Division sources said Mr Adani travelled to Dhaka by his personal airplane and returned immediately after the meeting in the afternoon.
The Adani boss apprised the premier of the latest status of Adani Power Jharkhand Limited (APJL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Power Limited, which is part of the diversified Adani Group, they told the FE.
"Honoured to have met Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina on full load commencement and handover of the 1,600 MW Ultra Super-Critical Godda Power Plant. I salute the dedicated teams from India and Bangladesh who braved Covid to commission the plant in record time of three-and-a-half years," wrote Mr Adani on his verified Twitter account about the visit.
According to the state-run Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), the Adani Power plant generated 627-MW electricity from its first unit, having the generation capacity of 748 MW, as on July 11.
The APJL in a press statement said, "Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani called on Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka on Saturday following the full load commencement of power supply to Bangladesh from the Group's Ultra Super-Critical Thermal Power Plant in Godda, India."
The Godda USCTPP, which marks Adani Group's entry into transnational power projects, is India's first commissioned transnational power project where 100 per cent of the generated power is supplied to another nation, it added.
The APJL completed the dependable capacity test for the Godda plant on July 12, according to the release.
The dependable capacity test, a mandatory requirement under the power-purchase agreement (PPA) with Bangladesh, was done over the stipulated period of six hours to evaluate the simultaneous functioning of both units of the plant after they began supplying electricity.
The 800-MW first unit of the plant in Jharkhand state began commercial operations on 06 April.
The second unit, also of the same capacity, started on 26 June.
The APJL will supply 1,496 MW from the plant via a 400kV dedicated transmission system linked to the Bangladesh grid, the release said.
With the commissioning of the Godda USCTPP, Adani Group has showcased a striking example of world-class project management and asset management capabilities, it said.
The USCTPP's commissioning in a record time of just 42 months after achieving financial closure and obtaining the necessary clearances is particularly noteworthy given the considerable logistical challenges the project encompassed, including the establishment of a 105-km 400kV double-circuit transmission line, the construction of a private railway line and the implementation of an extensive water pipeline from the Ganges, according to the company statement.
Sources said the APJL has been supplying electricity to Bangladesh under the PPA, which was inked on 05 November 2017 for a period of 25 years.
Controversy over the coal price for this power plant still remains a 'controversy,' they added.
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