Bangladesh is set to get another 300 MW of electricity from India from Sunday 12.00 pm while the formal power transmission launching programme between the two countries will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi through video conferencing today (Monday) morning. They will also inaugurate Kulaura-Shahbazpur Section Rehabilitation and Akhaura-Agartala Dual Gauge Rail Connection.
The rail projects will be jointly funded by Bangladesh and India, the Railway Department said. "We are set to import 500 MW of fresh electricity from India, however, from today (Monday) we will get 300 MW of electricity," Power Division secretary Ahmed Kaikus told the Daily Observer on Sunday evening. With this the total import from the neighbouring country now stands at 1,110MW," Power Division Secretary said. Bangladesh Power Development Board will require spending Tk 41,579 crore for the import of electricity for 15 years from India's West Bengal grid using a 400 kV trans-border transmission line that connects Baharampur in West Bengal with Bheramara in Kushtia, according to Power Division.
Of the fresh imports, India's state-run NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam, NVVN, will supply 300MW while its public-private venture PTC India Ltd will supply 200MW under separate contracts with successive effects for three years and 12 years.
"The price of per unit power from NVVN would be TK 4.71 and from PTC it would be 4.86 per unit for short term period and for long term period it would be TK 6.48 and Tk 6.54 respectively," PDB official said.
Recently, PGCB doubled the substation capacity at a cost of Tk 1,854.80 crore to facilitate a total of 1,000MW power import from India's grid in the West Bengal.
Bangladesh has been importing about 660 MW of electricity from India since August 01, 2011.
"The test run of this power transmission scheduled to start from 12 pm (Sunday), if everything is goes on right truck than we are set to get the power immediately," power secretary added. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also inaugurate the construct work of two railway projects through video conferencing. The two projects, Kulaura-Shahbajpur Section Rehabilitation of Bangladesh Railway and Akhaura-Agartala Duel Gauge Rail Connectivity (Bangladesh part), will be jointly funded by Bangladesh and India.
"Kulaura-Shahbajpur Section Rehabilitation project would restore the train link between Bangladesh and India as a part of Trans Asian Railway Network, however, under the project, about 53 kilometers duel gaze rail lines, bridges and culverts, stations and infrastructures would be constructed and non-interlocked colour light signaling system will be set up," the official said.
The estimated cost of the project is Tk 678 crore 50.79 lakh. Of the total cost, Tk 555 crore 98.76 lakh is LOC loan of Indian government while the Bangladesh government will give the remaining amount, the release added.
Under the second project, around 10 kilometers duel gauge rail lines, culverts, passenger platforms, platform shades, customs and immigration buildings and rest houses will be constructed with an estimated cost of Tk 240 crore 90.63 lakh.
The project will be implemented with the Indian grant.
