500MW more Indian power likely for BD

Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh is likely to get more 500MW electricity from India within December 2015 to June 2017 under ‘stepped-up’ power sector cooperation between the two countries.
At a meeting in Delhi on Friday both sides agreed for transmission of more 500MW power from India to Bangladesh by a deadline of June 2017. Earlier, the transmission of 500MW electricity began on October 5 last year through the Bheramara-Bahrampur grid, Power Secretary Monowarul Islam told media after the meeting with his Indian counterpart PK Sinha.
Meanwhile, a joint technical committee report on
Bangladesh’s purchase of 500MW additional power had been approved by Dhaka and now the two sides would work out the grid connectivity, he said.
Bangladesh is also expected to get a sizeable chunk of electricity by being the transit point of a proposed ambitious grid connecting the Indian states of Assam and Uttar Pradesh, said the power secretary.
Monowar said 100MW of electricity from Palatana power plant in the northeastern Indian state of Tripura is also expected to reach Comilla by December 2015. The two sides have been working on a 400KV transmission line between Tripura and Comilla to transmit power.
Earlier, Bangladesh had facilitated construction of the Palatana Power Plant by allowing transportation of equipment through Ashuganj river port, saving both time and money for India.
Monowar said Bangladesh and India are working on a “visionary programme” for bilateral power sector cooperation under which about 6,000MW to 6,500MW of electricity will be transported from Assam to Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh through Barapukuria of Bangladesh.