‘Indian plant exporting costly coal power to Bangladesh and not cheap renewable energy’

[Black_cats]

Published on 08:27 PM, August 10, 2020
‘Indian plant exporting costly coal power to Bangladesh and not cheap renewable energy’

Opine speakers from Bangladesh, India and Australia

Star Online Report
Speakers from Bangladesh, India and Australia at a virtual seminar today opined that Indian corporation Adani Power is using Bangladesh to maximise their profit by planning to export high-cost coal power when they can actually export much cheaper renewable energy instead.

The virtual seminar titled -- Adani Godda Coal Power Plant -- was co-organised by Bangladesh Working Group on External Debt (BWGED) from Bangladesh, All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA), Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF), Growthwatch, Environics Trust, Mines Minerals and People (mm&p) from India, around 4:00 pm, according to a press release issued by Hasan Mehedi, Member Secretary of BWGED

Tim Buckley, director of Energy Finance Studies of the US-based think tank Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), said, "Adani power is the largest producer of renewable energy in India, which is now the cheapest among all other power generating sources of the country. They even acknowledged that the solar energy price will drop 99 percent in the next four decades."

"If Bangladesh really needs electricity from Adani, they should ask for cheap renewable energy instead. Otherwise, people in Bangladesh have to pay for electricity from Adani Godda coal power plant at a much higher price," Tim Buckley added.

Researcher Sajjad Hossain Tuhin said Bangladesh will be purchasing electricity from Adani Godda Power plant at the rate of Tk 7.53 per unit but solar energy price in India is only Tk 2.74.

In August 2016, Adani Power signed an MoU with Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) to set up a 1600 (2x800) MW thermal power plant on a build-own-operate (BOO) basis in Godda district of Jharkhand, India. Adani will export the entire power generated from the power project to Bangladesh. The coal used for power generation will be imported from Carmichael coal mine of Australia.

In an earlier study in 2018, IEEFA warned that Adani Godda power plant would lock Bangladesh into expensive electricity with high emissions at a time when cleaner, cheaper alternative sources of energy are rapidly being deployed across India.

According to IEEFA, Adani's Godda project is a way to provide an alternative destination for coal from Carmichael mine in Australia, which was originally intended for Adani's Mundra plant in India, which is not doing well.

Speakers from India said that the Adani Godda power plant is facing strong protest in India. Pradeep Yadav, a member of Jharkhand legislative assembly said, "Land prices of the project were manipulated overnight and it was reduced to one-third of its actual price. All the related policies were violated".

Suriyanarayan Hembrom, a member of the indigenous community who lost his land for Adani Godda power plant, said, "We don't even have enough water to drink. Most of the drinking water sources are destroyed surrounding the construction site. Sharecroppers lost their land and livelihoods."

www.thedailystar.net/country/news/indian-plant-exporting-costly-coal-power-bangladesh-and-not-cheap-renewable-energy-1942737%3famp

 

[Chakar The Great]

India considers Bangladesh as Indian colony. The discrimination towards Bengalis is unreal.

 

[bluesky]

Speakers from Bangladesh, India and Australia at a virtual seminar today opined that Indian corporation Adani Power is using Bangladesh to maximise their profit by planning to export high-cost coal power when they can actually export much cheaper renewable energy instead.

I do not really understand why these big name people are fussing with sources of power. When BD has signed a Contract with an Indian company, the terms and conditions must have been set, confirmed, written and signed by the relevant parties.

No doubt, Indian companies are supplying as per the agreement and Clauses of the signed documents. What is this cheap renewable power and expensive coal power? People should talk about the energy source before a new agreement is signed.

 

[Aryan0395]

Lol this is some ppl in BD riding on the lets curse India a bit more bandwagon.
Your govt signed this deal and they will get what they signed. If you wanted power generated from renewable sources, should have signed for that. Its not like Adanis forced this down your throat or are looting you.

 

[El Sidd]

Bangladesh is a rich country

 

[Destranator]

I do not really understand why these big name people are fussing with sources of power. When BD has signed a Contract with an Indian company, the terms and conditions must have been set, confirmed, written and signed by the relevant parties.

No doubt, Indian companies are supplying as per the agreement and Clauses of the signed documents. What is this cheap renewable power and expensive coal power? People should talk about the energy source before a new agreement is signed.

Should not have signed up in the first place. Adani must have delivered truckloads of cash to the right bank accounts.

 

[bluesky]

Should not have signed up in the first place. Adani must have delivered truckloads of cash to the right bank accounts.

So, I say, include non-coal fuel when Bd signs documents for a new power plant. What is the use of making fuss on things that is not eligible for re-negotiations. When signed, coal was cheap and oil/gas was expensive.

Oil price will go up by the time the govt signs another deal because the Pandemic will be over and rich countries will be importing oil and gas. By the way, some people even talk of gas as if gas will reach our Golden Bangladesh by air balloon. The country at present imports LNG (liquefied natural gas) only for uses in the Dhaka house kitchens.

The country will have to build new infrastructure for increased import of LNG. It is a technically difficult and expensive process to turn back LNG (-162 degree) to gas (+28 degree) form. So, why blaming India when BD has not even built up proper arrangements?