Bangladesh clears projects to import 600 MW power from India

The government has cleared two projects costing Tk 16 billion to strengthen a transmission line and sub-station to import 600 megawatt electricity from India.

The cost to bolster the 55-kilometre line from Bherhamara to India's Baharampur has been estimated at Tk 14.05 billion.

The project to erect a line from India’s Tripura to Comilla and build a sub-station on the Bangladesh side will cost around Tk 1.8 billion.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also cleared four other projects having an estimated cost of Tk 511.78 billion.

State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan said the power projects aimed to meet the country’s energy demand.

Asian Development Bank will provide Tk 9.45 billion for the Bheramara-Bahrampur grid link project with the government pumping in the remaining Tk 4.6 billion.

The government will fund the entire project to set up the transmission line from Tripura to Comilla.

The meeting observed that the objective of the Bheramara-Bahrampur grid interconnection project was to import 500 MW from India.

A 230 kV double-circuit power line over 12 kilometres, including a rider crossing, will be set up under the project. Besides, a 500 MW HVDC back-to-back substation will be built at Bheramara.

The Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Limited (PGCBL) is expected to complete the project within June, 2018.

The meeting noted that the Tripura-Comilla grid interconnection project had been cleared to import 100 MW from Tripura’s Paltana through a substation in Comilla.

PGCBL will set up a 43-kilometre line under this project within June, 2016.

Bangladesh imports 500 MW from India through Kushtia’s Bheramara.

The other projects cleared by the ECNEC on Tuesday include a Tk 510.82 billion revised project to boost the health, population and nutrition sector.

This project had been cleared in July, 2011 with an allocation of Tk 569.93 billion. Now, the amount has been scaled down.

The government will provide Tk 397.48 billion and 6.9 million for the project. The rest will come as aid.

The project completion time has been extended to June, 2016.

The others are the Tk 400 million project to build a BSCIC industrial city in Srimangal, Tk 350 million project to construct Roumari-Tura land port road and Tk 360 million project of farming and researching crab and Cuchia in 63 districts.