Nepal starts exporting 40MW electricity to Bangladesh
Kathmandu, Nov 15: Nepal has from today started exporting electricity it has produced to Bangladesh after India.
This is another historic moment in the regional power trade sector. Nepal is exporting 40 megawatts of electricity to Bangladesh on Friday. This is the first time in Nepali history of power trade that electricity is being exported to another country in addition to India.
Now, the power export has started to a third country from Nepal. Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Deepak Khadka, Minister of Power of India Manohar Lal and Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, the Adviser for the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources of Bangladesh inaugurated the export of power jointly pressing a switch by virtual means.
Electricity will be supplied to the Muzaffarpur substation in India via the Nepal-India inter-country 400 kV Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur transmission line. From there, the power will be transmitted to Bangladesh via the Baharampur (India)-Bhermara (Bangladesh) 400 kV transmission line. Export of electricity from Nepal towards Bangladesh via India commenced from 12.30 pm today. Electricity will be exported until 12 midnight today.
Power export to Bangladesh will be resumed from June 15, 2025 after this. After the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission of India gave permission to export electricity from Nepal to Bangladesh, the authority would export electricity via Madhya Pradesh on Friday. A tripartite agreement was reached among high level officials of Nepal, India and Bangladesh on October 3 regarding power trade.
The agreement was signed by Executive Director of NEA, Kulman Ghising, on behalf of Nepal. Central Electricity Authority of India had on Thursday given permission to export 40 MW power, including the 18.60 MW power produced from Trishuli Hydropower Project and the 20.40 MW power generated from Chilime Hydropower Project, to Bangladesh. India’s Central Electricity Authority has given permission for exporting 40 MW electricity to Bangladesh until October 2, 2029. Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) will export 40 MW power to Bangladesh for six months in the monsoon season from June 15 to November 15 each year.
NEA will sell the electricity to Bangladesh in US Dollars. NEA will get 6.40 US Cents per unit electricity (Rs 8.62 as per today’s foreign currency exchange rate). NEA will earn 28,160 USD by exporting power to Bangladesh for 11 hours and 30 minutes today. NEA will get the payment at Muzaffarpur point.