The governments of India and Bangladesh have inaugurated the Baharampur-Bheramara cross-border power transmission link between the countries that would initially facilitate the exchange of 500MW electric power with an option to enhance the power flow to 1,000MW in the future.
The India Government will supply 250MW of the initial capacity from its unallocated quota of power at Central Electricity Regulatory Commission-specified rates, while the remaining 250MW will be contracted by Bangladesh from the Indian electricity market.
Backed by the Asian Development Bank, the $193m Bangladesh-India electrical grid interconnection project is established between the western electrical grid at Bheramara in Bangladesh and the eastern electrical grid at Baharampur in India.
The link features 125km of 400kV double circuit (D/C) transmission line between the electrical substations at Baharampur and Bheramara, a 400kV switching station at Baharampur and a 500MW back to back high voltage direct current (HVDC) sub-station (400/230kV) at Bheramara and associated infrastructure.
Earlier Powergrid Corporation of India and Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) had signed a contract for the development and operation of the project, which received approval from the Bangladesh Department of Environment on 11 July 2010.
Consequently, the parties had signed contracts for the 400kV D/C overhead transmission line (Bangladesh portion) and line-in line-out of 230kV Ishurdi-Khulna D/C overhead line at Bheramara in December2010 and for the 500MW HVDC substation in March 2011.
Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said that the new transmission link will enable safe and reliable interconnection between the countries and will facilitate India to initially supply 500MW power to Bangladesh.
In addition to this, the countries have commenced construction on the 1,320MW Maitri thermal power project, which is to be developed by Bangladesh-India Friendship Power, a joint venture of NTPC and BPDB.
Image: India and Bangladesh inaugurate the Baharampur-Bheramara cross-border power transmission link. Photo: courtesy of Bangladesh Power Development Board.
.gif)
