A proposal is set to be placed at the joint steering committee meeting of Bangladesh-India power sector cooperation to import an additional 630MW of electricity from the neighbouring country, a power division official has said.
“A high-level Indian delegation led by Indian Power Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha will visit Dhaka to attend a meeting of the Joint Steering Committee on the power sector from April 2-3,” Power Secretary Monowar Islam, who will lead the Bangladesh side, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
Official sources said a joint working committee meeting – led by joint power secretaries of both countries – would take place today, followed by a joint steering committee meeting – led by power secretaries – to be held tomorrow.
Both meetings will discuss the possibility of exploring power exchanges between Bangladesh and India through the eastern side of Bangladesh and India’s Tripura.
The meetings will also discuss the possibility of importing electricity from northeastern Indian states and the development of joint venture hydro-power projects in those areas.
Discussions will also be held on the prospects of importing electricity from Nepal and Bhutan.
Both teams are also scheduled to visit the1,320MW Moitree Super Thermal Power Project at Rampal today.
“We will place a proposal to import 30MW of electricity from India’s public or private sector through the Bheramara sub-station,” said a top official of Power Division, seeking anonymity.
“We will seek a further 600MW power from India’s Tripura state.” he said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina recently made a request to her Indian counterpart about this matter.
Dhaka is keen to import electricity from India in order to reduce its dependence on more costly power from rental and quick rental power plants, of which production cost is average Tk17 per unit; each unit of electricity from India costs an average of Tk6.
At present, Dhaka imports 500MW of electricity from India, 50% from the public sector and the rest from the private sector.
Another official of the Power Division said the meeting would also review the progress of Bangladesh India Friendship Power Company Limited (BIFPC) in developing the 1,320MW Rampal project in Bagerhat.
Sources also said the board meeting of the newly formed BIFPC will be held tomorrow.