Delhi, Dhaka to discuss electricity sharing

DHAKA - Bangladesh and India are to discuss cross-border power grid connectivity with participation from the state sector and private entrepreneurs, an official said.

Indian Power Secretary H.S. Brahma will lead the Indian delegation while Secretary to the Power Division M. Abul Kalam Azad will lead the Bangladesh team during the official talks that begin here Friday.

The two countries formed a steering committee after signing an MoU on power exchange during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s India visit last month.

“This committee in its first meeting will fix all pros and cons and suggest feasibility study, if needed,” Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) chairman S.M. Alamgir Kabir told BSS, the official news agency of Bangladesh.

A 16 to 18-member delegation, including private sector players, will take part in the two-day meeting, he said. Local entrepreneurs will also sit with the Indian delegation Feb 19.

The two sides will focus on a feasibility study on coal-fired power plant’s scope at Mongla, scope of technical assistance in Bangladesh’s power sector and formation of a joint committee to increase efficiency.

According to the MoU, the exchange volume would be started from 250MW initially while it could eventually be as high as 1,000MW and the project cost was estimated at around $200 million.

The two countries are set to exchange electricity for nearly 17 hours a day.

“We will need to transform the connecting points of the two systems into high voltage DC line as back-to-back link of 250MW capacity,” said Kabir.

Bangladesh currently faces electricity deficit of 1,500MW to 1,800MW, The Daily Star reported.