Author: sarpf.client.user

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said that Bangladesh-India-Nepal trilateral agreement is essential to increase regional cooperation in the power sector. Negotiations are ongoing, he said adding, Bangladesh has sent a proposal to India and Nepal for signing an MoU (memorandum of understanding). He noted that a process for importing 40 MW of power from Nepal through the unused capacity of Bangladesh’s Bheramara HVDC sub-station using the Indian grid is almost finalised.

The electric power trade agreement between Nepal and India has been extended for a three-month period. While the agreement is typically renewed annually, this time it has been prolonged for a shorter duration of three months. Under the terms of the renewed agreement, Nepal has the capacity to import 554 megawatts of electricity from India, as disclosed by the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation. The power trade agreement between Nepal and India was initially signed in 2078 BS, facilitating the import and export of electricity between the two nations. This latest renewal ensures the continuation of electricity imports, with the capacity set at 554 megawatts.

Bangladesh expects to sign a power import agreement with Bhutan soon, said Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Monday following a meeting with Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgye Wangchuck. Hasan Mahmud called on Bhutanese King at Intercontinental Dhaka, his place of residence in the Bangladesh capital during his four-day visit. “Bangladesh will sign a power import agreement with Bhutan soon,” Hasan Mahmud told reporters after the meeting with the Bhutanese King. “We are eager to sign the agreement with Bhutan for long, we have signed an agreement with Nepal by this time to import hydropower from their country, India has cooperated us in this regard, India will also support us to signing the agreement with Bhutan to import hydroelectricity,” he said.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay had fruitful and wide ranging discussions in Thimphu wherein the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to taking this extraordinary bilateral partnership to new heights, looking into the future. The two leaders noted the stellar contribution of clean energy partnership in the development of hydro-power sector of Bhutan, and in providing energy security to the region. Both the Prime Ministers agreed that both Governments will review and finalize project – specific implementation modalities for new projects, including reservoir hydro projects. It was also agreed that the Government of India will facilitate necessary access to financing from financial institutions in India as well as market for power sale for new and upcoming hydro-power projects in Bhutan.

Sri Lanka and India are working on an estimated USD 1.2 billion undersea transmission line that will link the island nation’s power grind with that of India to provide energy security to this country, a top Sri Lankan official said. The proposal is to link Sri Lanka’s north central town of Anuradhapura and Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu state in India through a direct power line. After a 130-km overland transmission line in India, an undersea line (via a submarine cable) will emerge at Thiruketheeswaram in Mannar in northeast Sri Lanka. Sulakshana Jayawardena, Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Energy said, “This will raise our hopes on energy security.” He said this days after the fifth meeting of the India-Sri Lanka joint working group (JWG) for cooperation in the power sector was held on February 28 here. The High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha also attended the meeting. “The proposal for the power grid interconnection was discussed at this meeting,” Jayawardena said.