Power purchase from wheeling charge

India does not have any disagreement 'on principle' with Bangladesh's proposal to buy 2000MW of power by 2018.

India has so far agreed to sell 1000MW but its power ministry say more can be sold.
 
"It all depends on our own availability, our demand-supply gap, but Bangladesh is a friend and is helping us with transmission across its territory. So we can easily cooperate," said a top Indian power ministry source.
 
But the official was not willing to be identified on grounds of lack of authorisation to brief media.
 
Bangladesh has agreed to help India with transmission of 7,000MW of power from Rangia Raota of Assam to Borakpur in Bihar through Barapukuria in Dinajpur. For the transmission, India will pay wheeling charge.
 
"They (Dhaka) say they want to buy more power and adjust it against the wheeling charges. We have no objections on principle," the source said.
 
With India constructing huge hydel power plants in its north-eastern region, specially in Arunachal Pradesh, Bangladesh is likely to be requested for more transmission facilities.
 
This has prompted Bangladesh to plan a massive transmission line that will be able to transmit around 20,000MW of electricity.
 
Bangladesh believes that there can be such high-capacity interconnectors in Tripura-Comilla, Bongaigaon (Assam)-Jamalpur/Dinajpur-Purnea (Bihar), Shilchar (Assam) and Fenchuganj.

To boost inter-regional power transmission back home, Bangladesh is building a smart grid and upgrading its transmission lines to 400 kilovolt from existing 230 kilovolt in Ashuganj-Bhulta, Aminbazar-Mawa-Mongla, Anwara-Meghnaghat, and Matarbari-Anwara-Modhunaghat.
 
Indian power ministry officials say Bangladesh has already put in a request for at least 1,500MW from Rangia Raota of Assam in addition to the 500MW from Baharampur of West Bengal, it is already importing.
 
Bangladesh is also to get 100MW this year from the Palatana power plant in Tripura.
 
India was allowed free transit and transshipment facilities to build the Palatana plant.
 
Dhaka has proposed that Delhi sell it 2,000MW electricity from the Rangia Raota project. India has so far agreed to sell 1,000MW.
 
The proceeds from wheeling charge (the amount charged for using transmission lines) can be used for power purchase.
 
By allowing transmission of Indian power across its territory, Bangladesh can not only earn much in wheeling charges but it can also buy 20-25% of the total power to be transmitted if all goes well.
 
That's a possibility in future when the huge hydel projects in Aruanchal Pradesh near commissioning.