India becomes net exporter of power for the first time

Powered by the highest supply to Bangladesh, India has for the first time turned around from a net importer of electricity to a net exporter.

This year, India exported 5,798 million units of electricity to Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar, our New Delhi correspondent reports quoting an official statement.

Also, export of electricity to Bangladesh and Nepal increased 2.8 and 2.5 times respectively in the last three years. The total export was 213 million units more than the import. India first began commissioning power to Bheramara in Bangladesh at 400kV in September 2013 through Baharampur in West Bengal. It was further augmented by second interconnection between Surjyamaninagar in Tripura and Comilla.

At present, around 600 MW power is being exported to Bangladesh. India had been exporting around 190 MW power to Nepal through 12 interconnections. Export of power to Nepal further increased by around 145 MW with a commissioning in 2016.

Export of power to the Himalayan country is expected to go up by around 145 MW soon.

A few more cross-border links with the neighbouring countries are in pipeline which would further increase India's export of power to them, the statement said without elaborating. However, it is understood that Bangladesh and India will sign a deal on cooperation in the power sector during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's official visit to New Delhi in the first week of April.