‘No breakthrough in energy sector’

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s four-day visit to India was focused on the energy and power sector but there has been no new big achievement for Bangladesh in terms of regional cooperation, say experts.

They said the issue of long-awaited approval from India for using its land to import cheap hydroelectricity from Nepal and Bhutan has remained unsolved despite meetings and signings of several agreements during the prime minister’s trip, which ended on Thursday.

During a meeting on Tuesday, Hasina requested Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow Bangladesh to import hydroelectricity from Nepal and Bhutan by setting up a grid in India. Modi only said a guideline has been prepared in this regard, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

However, there has been no clear answer yet from the neighbour country.

Experts have also called for increased regional cooperation among Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan to secure sustainable renewable energy sources amid the changing geopolitical situation and energy crisis around the world.

Energy expert Professor M Tamim said the region’s energy security will be ensured in future if Nepal and Bhutan increase cooperation in the power sector with the other two nations.

In addition, experts have said that surplus fuel oil import from India will help solve the ongoing energy crisis in Bangladesh caused by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. They believe fuel import diversification will reduce costs and ensure energy security.

In this regard, they have urged the authorities concerned in the two countries to complete the construction work of the fuel supply pipeline from Assam’s Numaligarh to Dinajpur’s Parbatipur.

During her visit, which started on Monday, Hasina discussed several issues including energy, rail, port use and transit with Modi at Tuesday’s meeting. Afterwards, they oversaw the signing of seven deals.

The two premiers also unveiled several projects — including Unit-I (660 megawatts) of Maitree Power Plant, a supercritical coal-fired thermal power plant in Bagerhat’s Rampal — jointly taken by both countries.

Built under India’s concessional financing scheme, the two units of the plant will add 1,320 MW to Bangladesh’s national grid. The first unit will go into commercial operation in October, according to Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).

The Foreign Ministry statement said the two leaders had reached a consensus on strengthening sub-regional cooperation in the power sector during the meeting and agreed to speed up the implementation of various projects, including the construction of a 765 kV transmission line from Bihar to Assam via Parbatipur. They also reviewed the progress of the under-construction Bangladesh-India Friendship Pipeline through which Bangladesh will import fuel from the Numaligarh Refinery in Assam. Both countries hope the project will be completed soon. Moreover, Bangladesh requested India to export surplus fuel oil at an affordable price and India has agreed to start discussions, said the statement.

On Monday, Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani called on Prime Minister Hasina and said they plan to start exporting electricity from a coal-fired plant in eastern India to Bangladesh this year.

According to officials, the first unit of the 1,600 MW plant in Jharkhand’s Godda is scheduled to start sending electricity to Bangladesh on December 16 and the second unit from March 26, 2023.

However, BPDB sources said Bangladesh will not be able to receive 800 MW of electricity from the first unit starting from December 16 because a nearly-finished substation on this side of the border will not be ready to handle that type of load by then. Also, the construction work of another substation will not be finished by December.

Under the circumstances, BPDB plans to bring in 400 MW through the first substation to meet the power shortage in the country’s northern region and curb the amount of load-shedding. At the same time, Bangladesh will still have to pay the capacity payment for the remaining 400 MW. Adani has also shown interest to invest in the renewable energy sector in Bangladesh.