The flow of power from India to Bangladesh starts today (Friday) as all is set to initiate the test run of electricity from Baharampur of the neighbouring country, a top official said.
"We are prepared to start the test run of electricity to be imported from India Friday morning," acting Managing Director of Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) Chowdhury Alamgir Hossain told the FE Thursday.
He said around 50-175 megawatts (mw) of electricity would be imported from India during the test-run period to be continued
until the inauguration of commercial operation scheduled for October 5.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the first-ever import of electricity at a function at Bheramara, said the PGCB official.
"During the test run electricity would be flowed on an interval basis to ensure and check that all systems are rightly in place," he said.
It would continue for two-three hours and then stop for several more hours to reinitiate supply, he added.
The system would be upgraded to carry up to 500 mw of electricity from November next, he added.
The imported electricity from India would be supplied to the national grid for use, said the official.
Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) would purchase the electricity to be supplied by Indian NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd (NVVN), a wholly owned subsidiary of India's National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).
Electricity tariff will be fixed by Indian Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC).
It might be around Tk 5.0 per unit (1kWh), said a senior BPDB official.
The state-owned BPDB will import 250 mw of electricity from Indian central government's unallocated quota, he said.
Around 250 mw electricity is set to be supplied from an Indian private firm, PTC India Limited.
BPDB and NVVN inked a deal on February 28, 2012 to import 250 mw of electricity.
The deal will be effective for 25 years. BPDB will have to pay an additional Tk 0.80 per unit as wheeling charge to the power distribution firm, he said.
This will be Bangladesh's first-ever import of electricity from any country.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) over electricity trade was earlier signed between Bangladesh and India in New Delhi in January 2010.
Officials said the import of electricity from India will help ease Bangladesh's power crisis.
Bangladesh's overall electricity generation is now hovering around 6,000 mw against the demand for over 7,500 mw.
The government has a target to augment electricity generation to 24,000 mw by 2021.
Bangladesh is also eyeing to import power from neighbouring Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar to meet the country's growing electricity demand.
It will also help establish a SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) electricity grid.
Currently India has a power link with Bhutan.
Simultaneously, it is also in discussion with Sri Lanka for an undersea link and with Nepal for an overland interconnection that will allow electricity exchange.
India and Pakistan are also in talks over electricity exchange, said sources.
