Bangladesh likely to import power from Nepal: Nepalese media

Photo: BSS. A representational image
Photo: BSS. A representational image

Bangladesh is likely to import electricity from Nepal using India's transmission network as Nepal, India and Bangladesh are close to signing a pact over the matter, claims The Kathmandu Post.

The Nepalese media said it is going to happened four months after a secretary-level meeting between Nepali and Bangladeshi energy officials agreed to trade power through the India's grid.

Quoting officials, the Post added, the Seventh Joint Steering Committee meeting on Nepal-India Cooperation which concluded on Tuesday has decided to hold a tripartite meeting within three months.

"The meeting is expected to fix transmission modalities and commercial terms for use of the Indian grid, paving the way for direct power trade between Nepal and Bangladesh through India," said Dinesh Ghimire, secretary of the ministry of energy, water resources and irrigation, was quoted to have said.

“We have proposed to trade electricity with Bangladesh in a cost-effective way by paying surcharges for using Indian transmission lines as fixed by Indian regulations rather than transacting power through an Indian commercial entity acting as an intermediary between Nepal and Bangladesh,” Dinesh was also quoted.

The report also said in June, Nepal and Bangladesh had decided to explore possibilities of using Indian transmission lines passing through the Siliguri corridor following amendments to cross-border energy trading regulations by India.
The 15th Joint Steering Committee meeting between Bangladesh and India has also agreed to build transmission lines in a synchronous mode for smooth exchange of power between the countries, it added.

The Post also said in April 2017, Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding with India’s NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam to import 500 megawatts of electricity from the 900 megawatt Upper Karnali Scheme being built by Indian developer GMR in western Nepal.

It further said GMR and the Bangladesh Power Development Board are yet to finalise a power purchase agreement on trading electricity generated by Upper Karnali through the Indian grid.