Bangladesh has informed Nepal that it would be concluding the deal to buy 500MW electricity from 900MW Upper Karnali hydropower project which will be developed by India's GMR Group, by September, reports The Kathmandu Post.
Bangladesh and Nepal have decided to request India to allow export of 40-50MW of electricity from Nepal to Bangladesh in the initial phase utilising the high-voltage direct current power systems in Bheramara of Bangladesh.
The secretary-level Joint Steering Committee (JSC) formed for energy cooperation between Nepal and Bangladesh took the decision on Thursday, reports The Kathmandu Post.
Mohammad Habibur Rahman, secretary 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.
Mohammad Hossain, director general of Power Cell, who participated in the Bangladesh-Nepal Working Group and 4th Joint Steering Committee, told The Business Standard that the power will come through the existing transmission line.
"Nepal will supply the power to India and India will evacuate the power through the Bheramara HVDC transmission line, he added.
During the fourth JSC meeting on energy cooperation, Bangladesh has informed Nepal that it would be concluding the deal by September to buy 500MW electricity from the 900MW Upper Karnali Hydropower Project, which will be developed by India's GMR Group, according to a press statement issued by Nepal's energy ministry on Thursday.
The meeting also decided to cooperate on the electricity sector by providing the environmental impact assessment report of 683MW Sunkoshi III Hydropower Project to Bangladesh.
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.
At present, Bangladesh imports 1,000MW electricity through this line.
In 2019, GMR and Bangladesh had signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) and the signed PPA had been submitted to the Bangladesh Cabinet for review.
Nepal's energy 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.
The both sides decided to make efforts for a tripartite agreement between Nepal, Bangladesh and India for the development of Nepal-Bangladesh dedicated power transmission line.
The both sides agreed to cooperate on solar home systems and other renewable energy.
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