Nepal – B’desh agree for energy development and trade

Nepal and Bangladesh have decided to approach India to allow export of 40 to 50MW of electricity from Nepal to Bangladesh in the first phase utilizing the high voltage direct current power systems located in Bheramarain Bangladesh.

In 2013, India and Bangladesh inaugurated the Baharampur-Bheramara cross-border power transmission line between the countries that would initially facilitate the exchange of 500MW of electricity.

The understanding reached on secretary-level Joint Steering Committee (JSC)formed for energy cooperation between Nepal and Bangladesh on Thursday. Nepal Electricity Authority and Bangladesh Power Development Board decided to request India’s NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam for trilateral energy sales and purchase agreement utilizing the Baharampur-Bheramara cross-border power transmission link.

During the fourth JSC meeting on energy cooperation, 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, this was stated in a press statement issued by Nepal’s Energy Ministry on Thursday. GMR and Bangladesh, in 2019, had 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 on the electricity sector by providing the environmental impact assessment report of 683MW Sunkoshi III Hydropower Project to Bangladesh.

The both parties decided to make efforts for a tripartite agreement between Nepal, Bangladesh and India for the development of Nepal-Bangladesh dedicated power transmission line. The JSC meeting was chaired by Sushil Chandra Tiwari, secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resource and Irrigation and Mohammad Habibur Rehman, secretary of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources from Bangladesh.

Earlier, at the Wednesday meeting, Joint-secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Madhu Bhetuwal led the Nepali team. Similarly, Mohsin Chowdhury, additional secretary of the Power Division of Bangladesh, led the Bangladeshi delegation. Bangladesh is consistently showing interest in purchasing electricity from Nepal.  Nepal and Bangladesh signed an energy cooperation deal in 2018.