A project of Tk1,404.8 crore has been approved for the expansion of Bangladesh-India (Bheramara-Baharampur) existing grid line to import an additional 500 megawatt of power from India.
The approval was given at the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) meeting held at the NEC conference room yesterday.
Power Grid Company Bangladesh Limited (PGCB) will implement the Bangladesh (Bheramara)-India (Baharampur) grid connection project by June 2018 with the Asian Development Bank providing Tk844.88 crore as project assistance.
The project works include construction of 12 km Bheramara-Ishwardi 230 KV double circuit transmission line, including river crossing, construction of Bheramara 500MW HVDC back-to-back substation.
The project was one of six development projects approved at the meeting. The total value of the projects is Tk52,778.11 crore.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan said of the total project cost, Tk40,481.75 crore will come from the national exchequer, Tk117.76 crore from the respective organisation’s own fund and the remaining Tk12,178.60 crore will be received as project assistance.
Replying to a question, the state minister said the import of power from India through this grid interconnection would be a win-win situation for both Bangladesh and India.
The Ecnec meeting also approved another project titled Tripura (India)-Comilla south substation (Bangladesh) grid interconnection project at a cost of Tk179.45 crore.
PGCB will implement the project by June 2016 under which Bangladesh would import 100MW of power from Palatana power station of Tripura through Comilla south power substation.