Bangladesh to get 600MW more from India by 2017

Bangladesh is expected to get at least 600 megawatt of additional power from India between December 2015 and June 2017 under stepped-up power sector cooperation between the two countries.

Bangladesh is also expected to get a sizable chunk of about 6,000MW to 6,500MW of power by being the transit point of a proposed ambitious grid connecting the Indian states of Assam and Uttar Pradesh, Bangladesh Power Secretary Monowarul Islam told representatives of Bangladesh media after a meeting with his Indian counterpart PK Sinha.

The meeting yesterday jointly agreed on a deadline of June 2017 for transmission of 500MW more power from India to Bangladesh besides the existing 500MW through the Bheramara-Bahrampur grid, which began on October 5 last year, Islam said.

A joint technical committee report on Bangladesh's purchase of 500MW additional power had been approved by Dhaka, he said, adding the two sides would work out the grid connectivity now.

Islam said 100MW of electricity from Palatana power plant in northeastern Indian state of Tripura was also expected to reach Comilla by December 2015. The two sides were working on a 400KV transmission line between Tripura and Comilla to export the power.

Bangladesh had facilitated construction of the Palatana power plant by allowing transportation of equipment through Ashuganj river port, saving both time and money for India.

According to Islam, Bangladesh and India are working on a "visionary programme" for bilateral power sector cooperation under which about 6,000MW to 6,500MW of electricity will be transported from Assam to Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh through Barapukuria of Bangladesh.

He said there would be a landing station in Barapukuria in Dinajpur on the proposed cross-country power transmission line and Bangladesh was expected to get a "sizable chunk" of the power from the grid in return for allowing the power supply transit.

Pressed further, Islam said Bangladesh expected 3,500MW of power from the proposed project which would be developed over the next few years.

Terming his talks with the Indian power secretary "very fruitful", Islam said Bangladesh was "indebted" to India for being supportive of bilateral cooperation in power sector.

"You will see many more achievements in bilateral power sector cooperation in the coming years," he said without elaborating.

He added power sector cooperation between Bangladesh and India got a big push from the bilateral Framework Agreement signed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her the then Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh during the latter's visit to Dhaka in September 2011. 

Islam further said India and Bangladesh were also committed to boosting power sector cooperation among the Saarc states and a meeting of energy ministers of the regional body would be held in New Delhi on October 16-17 ahead of the Saarc Summit in Kathmandu in November.