August 26: Bangladesh has agreed to purchase 40 to 50 megawatts of electricity from Nepal within the next three months. The decision was reached on Thursday during a meeting of the Secretary-level Joint Steering Committee (JSC) formed for energy cooperation between Nepal and Bangladesh.

Since Indian land will be used to deliver Nepal's electricity to Bangladesh, it has been decided to settle this matter through a tripartite meeting between Nepal, India and Bangladesh.

During Thursday’s meeting, the Nepali delegation was led by Sushil Chandra Tiwari, secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation. The Bangladeshi delegation was led by Mohammad Habibur Rahman, secretary of the Ministry of Electricity, Energy and Mineral Resources.

Joint Secretary and Spokesperson of the Ministry of Energy, Madhu Bhetuwal, said that since the meeting concluded that up to 50 megawatts of high voltage direct current can be transmitted from Nepal to Bhedamara-HPDC structure in Bangladesh, it decided to hold a tripartite meeting within three months to finalize this matter.

According to him, a meeting will be held between the officials of Nepal Electricity Authority, Indian Electricity Trading Company and Bangladesh Power Development Board. There has been no breakthrough in electricity trade between Nepal and Bangladesh as India has so far refused to give permission. A senior official of the Ministry of Energy informed that the meeting also decided to persuade India to facilitate the electricity trade.

Joint company to build Sunkoshi-III

In the JSC meeting, Nepal and Bangladesh have agreed to form a joint venture company to build the 603 MW Sunkoshi-III reservoir-based hydropower project.

Two weeks ago, the Ministry of Energy formally submitted a proposal with a feasibility study report for the construction of Sunkoshi-III. The spokesperson of the Ministry of Energy, Bhetuwal informed that the Bangladeshi authorities are ready to establish a joint venture company within four months after reviewing the feasibility study and environmental study report of the Sunkoshi-III project.

“It has been agreed that the feasibility study report of the Sunkoshi-III project will be reviewed within 2 months of the approval of the environmental study report and then the process of establishing a joint venture company will be initiated,” he said.

During a meeting held in August last year, Nepal had proposed to the Government of Bangladesh for the construction of Sunkoshi-III. A team of Bangladeshi officials visited the site of Sunkoshi-III last Tuesday.

Sunkoshi-III project is located in Ramechhap, Sindhuli, Sindhupalchok and Kavre. This is the largest reservoir-based hydropower project in Nepal. About 4224 hectares of land around Sunkoshi and Tamakoshi rivers will be used for the construction of this project. It is estimated that this project will cost Rs 1.59 billion.