Nepal, Bangladesh finalising power tariff rates

KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 22 : Nepal has geared up to sell its electricity to Bangladesh by finalising the tariff rates. In this light, a Nepali delegation led by Kulman Ghising, Managing Director of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), yesterday left for Bangladesh.

In the initial phase, Bangladesh is set to purchase 40 MW of electricity from Nepal. So, a month back, it sent a draft request for a proposal asking the NEA to set tariffs on electricity. As a response, the NEA quoted Rs 8.96 to Rs 9.28 per unit. According to Ghising, they will be finalizing the tariff rates through mutual agreement.

Nepal will supply electricity to Bangladesh via the 400 kV Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur cross-border transmission line and related infrastructure inside India.  During Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s visit to New Delhi in May-June last year, the Indian government made a commiment  to facilitate the export of electricity from Nepal to Bangladesh.

According to the NEA, the wheeling charge and cost of electricity losses will be borne by Bangladesh. “We will offer a certain discount if the payment is made within 7 days of issuing the bill,” states the authority sources.

Bangladesh is looking to import electricity from Nepal by constructing the 683 MW Sunkoshi III hydropower project with joint investment. Similarly, it is keen to purchase 500 MW of electricity from the 900 MW Upper Karnali Hydropower Project.

Bangladesh’s total electricity demand currently stands at  25,000 MW. It has a strategic plan to buy 10,000 megawatts of electricity from neighboring countries by 2040 to meet its domestic demand. Out of this, the Bangladeshi authorities  want to import 9,000 MW alone from Nepal.