Now joint venture coal power plant in India

Bangladesh and India have agreed to jointly set up a 750MW coal-based power plant in India. Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company (Pvt) Limited (BIFPCL) will set up the power plant in India, according to a press release from the Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry of Bangladesh on Thursday. The same company is also setting up a power plant at Rampal in Bangladesh that has led to protests in the country and abroad.

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Both the counterparts agreed to go forward with the plan during a meeting between Bangladesh State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid and Indian State Minister for Power, Coal, Renewable Energy and Mineral Resources Piyush Goyal in Delhi on Thursday. Currently, BIFPCL, a 50-50 joint venture between Bangladesh Power Development Board and India’s National Thermal Power Corporation, is building a 1,320MW coal-fired power plant near the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest.

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Protests have been ongoing in Bangladesh as the plant is 14km from the mangrove forest Sundarbans in light of environmental concerns. During the meeting, the countries have also agreed to import 100MW electricity to Bangladesh from India's Tripura state. After completion of technical and financial feasibility study, Bangladesh, India, and Bhutan will hold discussions for import of electricity from Bhutan to Bangladesh, the release said. Construction workers are seen working at the Rampal power plant project site near Sundarbans in Bagerhat. The photo was taken recently Dhaka TribuneThe meeting also finalised Bangladesh's purchase of 1,000MW electricity from the Indian Assam-Bangladesh-Bihar transmission corridor that will transmit 3,000MW electricity. India will deliver the electricity to Bangladesh for using the transmission route covering Bangladesh border. The press release quoted Indian State Minister Piyush Goyal as saying the works will be done at a coordinated manner and both the countries will enjoy the benefits. State Minister for Power Nasrul Hamid thanked India for its positive attitude on the import of hydropower from Bhutan to Bangladesh and said the decisions on the matter should be taken immediately. He also invited Piyush Goyal to attend the Power and Energy Week 2016 events in Bangladesh. Nasrul held a separate meeting with Indian State Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday.

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During the meeting, Pradhan informed Bangladesh that India had insufficient gas reserves at the moment, but would consider exporting gas from Tripura to Bangladesh in the future. India also welcomed Bangladesh’s interest in connecting to the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, the press release said. During the meeting, Indian state-owned company Numaligarh Refinery Limited proposed to set a premium of $5.50 per barrel of diesel, three times higher than Bangladesh's proposed rate, for the installation of the 130km Indo-Bangla Friendship Fuel Pipeline for exporting one million tonnes of diesel to Bangladesh from Assam. Last month, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) suggested the premium at $1.78 per barrel if the cost of the pipeline project was fully financed by Bangladesh. Bangladesh and India also agreed to have the tariff for fuel trade sorted out by a joint working committee. Construction works going on at the Rampal power plant project site near Sundarbans in Bagerhat. The photo was taken recently Dhaka TribuneIn March this year, Bangladesh received a goodwill consignment of 2,281 tonnes of high-speed diesel loaded in 42 rail wagons from Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL). BPC spent $7 per barrel in the first import consignment. At Wednesday’s meeting, Nasrul Hamid and his counterpart also discussed issues related to gas import from Tripura and Myanmar, LNG supply from Indian Oil Company and a setting up a joint venture re-gasification project in Bangladesh.

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The meeting also discussed the scopes for setting up a pipeline for LNG import from India. Indian Oil Company Limited (IOCL) has sought land at Moheshkhali for installing an LPG plant. On October 5, Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) of Bangladesh and Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) of India signed a memorandum of understanding in New Delhi for enhancing energy efficiency and its conservation. On October 2, a 19-member delegation team, led by Nasrul Hamid, went to India. The team will return on October 8.