Power import from India next month

Opening a new horizon of regional cooperation, Bangladesh is all set to start importing 250 megawatts of power from India next month, officials say.Another slot of 250 MW of electricity is expected to be imported from the Indian open market almost within the same period.The total amount of electricity, which is to be imported under a 35-year contract, will greatly improve the country’s power crisis situation, which is now being tackled through costly but short-term rental power plants.A test power transmission is likely to begin from late this month, said sources at Power Development Board (PDB).To give the process a kick start and review the preparedness of both the countries, a technical team from India would tomorrow hold a meeting with the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) and the PDB.The tariff along with the transmission wheeling charge of the power imported will be between a little less than Tk 6 and Tk 6.35 per kilowatt-hour or unit.The rate is cheaper than that of the rental power plants which ranges between Tk 7.5 and Tk 22 per unit, but higher than that of the large local gas-fired power plants that is between Tk 2.5 and Tk 4.8 per unit.A 125-kilometre transmission line has been constructed between Baharampur of India and Bheramara in Bangladesh. Of this line, 40km fell inside Bangladesh.The transmission systems, which are based on 400 kV alternate current (AC) and 230 kV AC, have been proposed to be synchronised by installing a back-to-back high voltage direct current (HVDC) link.The line will have an initial transfer capacity of 500 MW, which will later be upgraded to 1,000 MW. The Asian Development Bank assisted Bangladesh in building this infrastructure.Half of this power will be coming from Indian central government electricity quota and the rest from its open market.
The deal is the culmination of a memorandum of understanding signed in January 2010 with India during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to New Delhi.