Nepal and Bangladesh have decided to request India to allow the export of 40 to 50 megawatts (MW) of electricity from Nepal to Bangladesh in the initial phase utilising the high voltage direct current power systems located in Bheramara of Bangladesh.
The secretary-level Joint Steering Committee (JSC) formed for energy cooperation between Nepal and Bangladesh took the decision on Thursday.
Mohammad Habibur Rahman, secretary of to Power Division under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources of Bangladesh, led the Bangladesh delegation in the JSC meeting. Nepal’s Energy Secretary Sushil Chandra Tiwari chaired the meeting, according to The Kathmandu Post.
In 2013, India and Bangladesh inaugurated the Baharampur-Bheramara cross-border power transmission link between the countries that would initially facilitate the exchange of 500MW electric power.
During the fourth JSC meeting on energy cooperation, Bangladesh informed Nepal that it would be concluding the deal to buy 500MW of electricity from the 900MW Upper Karnali hydropower project which will be developed by India’s GMR Group, by September.
In 2019, GMR and Bangladesh signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) and the signed PPA had been submitted to the Bangladesh cabinet for review.
The meeting also decided to cooperate in the electricity sector by providing the environmental impact assessment report of the 683MW Sunkoshi III Hydropower Project to Bangladesh.
The ministry said in the statement that Bangladesh will provide its comments on the report, after which a joint committee will proceed ahead for the development of the project.
Both sides decided to make efforts for a tripartite agreement between Nepal, Bangladesh and India for the development of the Nepal-Bangladesh dedicated power transmission line.
They also agreed to cooperate on solar home systems and other renewable energy.