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Dhaka Friday,  Mar 29, 2024

Indian company invest on BD power sector

EB Reporter

Bangladesh is likely to increase the power import to about 1,100 MW from Indian grid by 2017, power division secretary Monwar Islam told reporters on Thursday.
He, accompanied by Indian power secretary PK Sinha, came up with the forecast after the 9th meeting of the joint-steering committee for power sector.
Monwar said that it was a review meeting to evaluate the progress of the ongoing projects which includes the 1,320 MW coal-fired power project at Rampal near Sundarban.
Bangladesh now imports up to 470 MW of electricity from Indian public and private sector through a trans-border grid between Bheramara in Kushtia and Baharampur in Pashchim Banga. Another 550 MW of power from private sector is expected to be imported from India using the same grid by the end of 2017.
Bangladesh would begin importing 100 MW of electricity from Tripura by connecting a portion of Comilla’s grid with Tripura by the end of 2015 as the authorities concerned are scheduled for September to establish the necessary infrastructures.
In the meeting, both the parties discussed about a proposal of India which narrated the installation of a high-powered grid line to transmit hydroelectricity from India’s north and north-eastern provinces to its western provinces through Bangladesh.
Officials did not give further details about the discussion on the matter.
PK Sinha, however, said that New Delhi agreed to facilitate Bangladesh’s plan to import hydroelectricity from Nepal and Bhutan through India.
He also said that authorities concerned of the two neighbours would facilitate the Indian private power companies in investing in Bangladesh’s power business.
Monwar said that the authorities concerned were scrutinising the proposals of Indian private companies to install and operate a number of power plants in Bangladesh.
Indian power secretary declined commenting on the alleged impact of Rampal power plant on the Sundarban, the world’s largest mangrove forest.
Instead, Monwar guaranteed that the under-construction power plant would not harm the Sundarban as the authorities concerned were using latest technologies.
Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company, a 50-50 joint-venture between Power Development Board and National Thermal Power Corporation, is implementing the controversial Rampal project, which has already drawn serious criticism from environmentalists at home and abroad.

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