Dhaka: The price of 100 MW of electricity that Bangladesh formally starts importing from Tripura’s gas-fired Palatana power plant on Wednesday will be relatively higher than the existing tariff of power being imported from India, UNB reports quoting the concerned minister.

‘The gas price in India is relatively high. That’s’ why the cost of the power of Tripura plant has been higher,’ said State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid while briefing reporters on the 100 MW power import from Tripura’s Palatana plant.

The state minister came up with the remarks against the backdrop of a debate over the higher tariff fixed for the 100 MW power to be imported from Tripura for which Bangladesh extended enormous support allowing tax-free transportation of equipment and constructing roads blocking the Titas River. 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarker will simultaneously launch the cross border power trading on Wednesday through videoconferencing from their respective offices.

Bangladesh will be importing the 100 MW power from the Tripura plant at a rate of Rs 5.50 per unit (each kilowatt hour) for the next five years with a term of ‘no electricity, no payment’. In local currency, the tariff will be Tk 6.49 per unit.

At present, Bangladesh has been importing 500 MW of electricity from India through its western border for the last two years with an average tariff of about Tk 5 per unit. Half of 500 MW is coming from the India’s public sector and the remaining half from its private sector.

Nasrul Hamid said Bangladesh is also planning to import another 600 MW of electricity from India in addition to the existing ones.

Of this, 500 will come from India through Bheramara transmission point while 100 MW from Tripura through eastern grid.

‘We’ve taken a separate transmission project at Bheramara. Once it is completed, we’ll be able to start importing the proposed 500 MW and it will take two years to get this electricity,’ he said, adding that the government is trying to get the addition 100 MW from Tripura.

The junior minister said the newly imported 100 MW electricity will mainly be distributed in Comilla region.

Responding to a question, he said the import of electricity from Nepal and Bhutan is time-consuming as this will take 7-8 years to set up power plants there.

Nasrul Hamid said the import of electricity from India is profitable from the environmental point of view as Bangladesh does not need to affect its environment when it is imported.

Replying to another query, he said a team of Unesco will visit Rampal coal-fired power plant site to asses the environmental issues and later hold a meeting with the Power Division on March 28.

The state minister said the government wants to implement the Rampal power project in consultation with all stakeholders.

Power Secretary Monwar Islam and other top officials of the Power Division were present at the press briefing.