Nepal begins official electricity export to Bangladesh
This marks the first time Nepal has exported electricity to a third country.
KATHMANDU: Electricity export from Nepal to Bangladesh through India has officially started today.
On Friday, Nepal’s Minister of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Deepak Khadka, along with Indian Minister of Power, R.K. Singh, and Bangladesh’s Advisor to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Mohammad Fazlul Kabir, launched the formal export of electricity to Bangladesh via virtual means.
This marks the first time Nepal has exported electricity to a third country.
Previously, Nepal had only been exporting electricity to India, but with the commencement of electricity exports to Bangladesh, it expands Nepal’s reach to international markets.
Nepal has begun exporting 40 megawatts of electricity to Bangladesh.
During the inauguration, Minister Khar emphasized that this development serves as a milestone for electricity trade in South Asia.
He also mentioned that the electricity export to Bangladesh began today as per the trilateral agreement signed in October, with thanks to the facilitating roles played by the governments of India and Bangladesh.
The trilateral agreement, signed in October 2023, outlines the export of 40 megawatts of electricity from Nepal to Bangladesh via India. According to the agreement, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) will export electricity at a rate of approximately Rs 8.64 per unit (6.4 US cents).
Bangladesh will be responsible for paying the “wheeling charge” for using India’s transmission network, operated by the National Thermal Power Corporation of India (NTPC).
Electricity from Nepal will be transmitted to India through the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur 400 kV transmission line and reach India’s Muzaffarpur substation.
From there, it will travel through India’s transmission network to the Baharampur (India) – Bheramara (Bangladesh) 400 kV line, delivering power to Bangladesh.
The export of electricity from Nepal to Bangladesh via India officially commenced at 12:30 PM today.
For the current year (2024), the export will continue until midnight, with further exports resuming in June 2025.
