Bangladesh is preparing to double its capacity to import electricity from India, the country’s apex power agency announced.
The government is looking to import another 500MW of electricity on a short-term and long-term basis for 15 years and has invited tenders from Indian companies. The last date to submit tenders is December 30.
“We intend to select a potential gas-fired or coal-based power plant owner, supplier or trader in India to supply a minimum of 100 MW and up to 500MW electricity for 15 years in two phases at the 400kV level to Behrampur sub-station in India,” the chairman of the Power Development Board, K M Hasan, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday. “The sponsor will be selected through a competitive bidding process limited to Indian bidders after scrutinising their technical and commercial proposals and tariff proposals. The selected sponsor will be required to execute a power purchase agreement with the PDB,” he said.
To enable the increase in import of electricity from India, the state-owned Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) will set up the country’s second 500MW back-to-back high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) sub-station at Bheramara in Kushtia.
The new sub-station will be set up next to the existing Bheramara HVDC sub-station. Electricity will be added to the national grid via sub-stations at Ishwardi and Khulna.
The selected sponsor will supply power to Behrampur sub-station at 400 kV level (delivery point), which will be transferred to Bheramara grid sub-station by the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited and the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Limited.
Indian companies NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited and Power Trading Corporation India Limited have been exporting around 450MW of electricity to Bangladesh since October 2013.
