The government is set to import another 600MW of power from India as the Executive Committee of National Economic Council approved two projects on power imports at a cost of Tk 1,600 crore to meet the growing local demand.
The latest move was made at an Ecnec meeting in the capital on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
The 500MW power will be imported under the Tk 1,405 crore ‘Bangladesh (Bheramara)-India (Baharampur) Grid Interconnection Project’ while the rest of 100MW from the Tk 179.45 crore ‘Tripura (India)-Comilla South Substation (Bangladesh) Grid Interconnection Project’.
The first project, to be implemented by Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Limited by June 2018 with ADB bearing Tk 844.88 crore of the project cost, eyes to enhance existing capacity of Bheramara-
Baharampur grid interconnection, said State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan.
Under the project, 12km Bheramara-Iswardi 230KV double circuit transmission line will be constructed, including river crossing, construction of Bheramara 500 MW HVDC back-to-back substation (2nd module).
The PGCB will also implement the substation grid project by June 2016, under which 100MW will be imported from Palatana power station of Tripura.
Under the project, 43km transmission line will be built and two 132KV bays at Comilla South Power Substation will be expanded. However, there would be scope for further raising its capacity.
Replying to a query, Mannan said power import from India through this grid interconnection would be a win-win situation for both the countries.
The Ecnec approved a total of six development projects with an outlay of Tk 52,778.11 crore—Tk 40,481.75 crore will be borne by the government and Tk 12,178.60 crore as project aid and Tk 117.76 crore by an implementing agency.
The meeting also OK’d downward revision to ‘Health, Population and Nutrition Sector Development Programme’. Its cost now stands at Tk 51,082.41 crore from the original outlay of Tk 56,993.54 crore.
Health and family welfare ministry is implementing the project across the country with its subordinate organisations by June 2016 with some 13 foreign agencies, including WB, JICA, EC, DFID, SIDA, CIDA, USAID, WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, GIZ, KfW, UNAIDS and GAVI-HSS as development partners.
On the downsizing of the cost of the mega project, Mannan said some development partners have lowered their commitments.
Other approved projects are BSCIC Industrial Estate, Srimangal (1st revised) project of Tk 40.14 crore, Roumari-Tura land port road construction project of Tk 35.07 crore and farming and research of Kuchia and crabs in the selected areas at Tk 36.24 crore.
Ministers and their subordinates, planning commission members and secretaries concerned attended the meeting.