The state-run Power Development Board is likely to start importing 500MW
of electricity from India on Tuesday, two days after the contracts come
into effect today, officials said.
Power Grid Company of Bangladesh managing director Chowdhury Alamgir
Hossain said, ‘Now the transmission is suspended to increase the
transmission capacity. We are expecting to start drawing 500MW of
electricity from Tuesday on trial.’
Full-fledged power transmission from India would begin following a successful test transmission of 500MW, he said.
From today, NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam was supposed to supply 250MW from
the Indian central government’s unallocated quota, which is usually
supplied to different Indian states, and PTC India Limited would supply
another 250MW of electricity from Indian private sector, according to
the contracts, officials said.
But the full-fledged transmission would be delayed due to incapability of the transmission system, they said.
Bangladesh started importing 175MW of electricity from the Indian public sector on October 1.
The PGCB deals with the power import from India through a high voltage direct current substation set up at Bheramara in Kushtia.
The power board signed contracts with two Indian power authorities, NTPC
and PTC India Limited, to import 250MW of electricity each from public
and private sector respectively. (source)