The Cabinet Committee on Procurement has approved the bid for import of 40 MW power from Nepal. The price of electricity per unit has been fixed at Tk. 8.17.
Cabinet approval on public procurement was given on Tuesday (June 11). However, there is considerable doubt about the immediate availability of this electricity.
Sources in the power division said that the hydropower will come from Nepal mainly during the monsoon season. And during winter, the water dries up due to which the production of hydropower is reduced in some places and stopped in some places. The possibility of this electricity coming to the country during the monsoon season of this year is very low.
The source said that Nepal's electricity will come via India. Here is another issue with India. They want to use our land to build transmission lines to eastern states. Bangladesh wants to resolve the transmission line issue with the issue of electricity import from Nepal. Bangladesh has some conditions regarding that transmission line. Bangladesh wants to have such a line, through which there is an opportunity to export and import from Bangladesh. Bangladesh wants to open the way to buy and sell electricity in India's open market.
Ghanshyam Bhandari, Ambassador of Nepal to Bangladesh at the Secretariat on January 31, came to meet the Minister of State for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid. After that meeting, Nasrul Hamid said that all the processes of importing 40 megawatts of hydropower from Nepal through India are almost over. Progress on import of another 500 MW of hydropower has been visible.
In another speech, the State Minister said that this electricity will be imported through Bheramara Substation in Kushtia. The tariff is determined between the National Electric Authority of Nepal and the PDB of Bangladesh.
The Power Development Board of Bangladesh will invest in the Sunkoshi-3 project in Nepal with an opportunity to sell power to Nepal and India, from where there will be an opportunity to sell power to both India and Nepal. Through regional cooperation it is possible to build profitable partnerships across borders.
There is a curious similarity between the power systems of Nepal and Bangladesh which can be particularly beneficial to both countries. Nepal is mainly a hydroelectric dependent country. They have the capacity to generate large amounts of electricity. In Nepal, electricity production decreases during winter, and the demand for electricity increases due to extreme cold. The country is struggling to deal with the deficit.
On the other hand, demand in Bangladesh decreases during winter and requires a large amount of production capacity from the surplus. That is why Nepal is interested in importing electricity from Bangladesh in winter. There is an opportunity for both countries to benefit from this. Since Indian land has to be used, it depends on India's consent. The matter has been discussed for several years.