India to transmit power, gas through Bangladesh

Dhaka has agreed to allow India set up a gas pipeline and power grid through Bangladesh territory.

This was finalised during the recent India visit of prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Electricity produced in Assam will be transmitted to Bihar through a grid substation set up in Parbatipur of Dianjpur, Bangladesh.

A power grid will be set up from Barnogarh of Assam to Katihar of Bihar in India through Parbatipur of Bangladesh. India gave consent for Bangladesh to tap 1000MW electricity from the grid.

Bangladesh can also import another 500 MW from Indian power producers, as agreed by the Indian government. The capacity of the Bheramara substation is being enhanced for this purpose.

During the visit, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Petrobangla of Bangladesh and Petronet LNG of India for a LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminal at Kutubdia of Cox’s Bazar in joint venture.

The prime ministers of both countries directed the authorities concerned to expedite measures for setting up an LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) plant by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), a pipeline to supply the LPG to northeast India, and to begin gas supply in Khulna-Jessore region. The IOCL will supply gas to the region through pipeline from its LNG terminal to be set up near Kolkata port.

The prime ministers expressed their satisfaction at the progress in setting up a pipeline from Shiliguri of West Bengal to Parbatipur of Dinajpur for supplying diesel to Bangladesh from Numaligarh refinery in Assam. India already sent 2,200 tonnes of diesel through railway during Sheikh Hasina’s visit. India is providing ‘grant-in-aid’ for the pipeline project.

Hasina and Modi inaugurated supplying of 60MW power to Bangladesh from Palatana power plant in Tripura, additional to the on-going 100MW.

Power Development Board (PDB) chairman Khaled Mahmud said all formalities for the supply have been accomplished. The 60MW will be added to the national grid by1-2 days, he added.

Two more MoU were signed with Reliance and Adani business conglomerates of India. Accordingly, Reliance will set up an LNG terminal and a power station while Adani will sell power to Bangladesh setting up a coal-fired power plant in India.

However, the Bangladesh’s initiative of importing power from Bhutan and Nepal remained hanging. The clause 28 of the joint declaration of the prime ministers said an MoU would be signed once the authorities concerned of India, Bangladesh and Bhutan hold a meeting in this connection. But the issue of power import from Nepal was not discussed. Sheikh Hasina requested Narendra Modi to look into the matter.

Source: Prothom Alo