Target power deal

Senior officials meet in Dhaka today to finalise a draft agreement on Bimstec grid interconnections for electricity trade and optimal power transmission among seven South and Southeast Asian countries.
The fifth meeting of the Bimstec Task Force on Trans Power Exchange and Development will hold an in-depth discussion on a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU).
The MoU will provide a broad framework for the implementation of grid interconnections to promote rational and optimal power transmission among the member countries, said a senior official of the foreign ministry yesterday.

If the MoU is finalised, the Bimstec member states will sign the deal in the Energy Ministerial Meeting, likely to be held in Kathmandu in June.
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand are the member states of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec).
The concept of trans-power exchange and grid interconnections for electricity among the member countries was first initiated in 2005 in India when Bimstec formed the taskforce.
“We are hopeful to finalise the draft of the deal in tomorrow's [Monday] meeting. The member countries have reached the final stages of negotiation, and signing of the agreement is only a matter of time to happen,” said the official.
This deal will ensure energy security in the region and will enable Bimstec member countries to share surplus electricity with each other, he said, adding, “Bangladesh will be largely benefited if the power connectivity is implemented.”
As the seven countries are geographically interconnected, setting up of the grid connectivity and power trading may be cost-effective.
According to an official of the Bimstec Wing at the ministry, the seven member states have potential to generate around 2,60,000-megawatt hydropower, including India 1,50,000-MW, Myanmar 40,000 MW, and Bhutan and Nepal 30,000-MW each.
The member countries have also taken up a plan of energy cooperation to generate electricity from renewable sources, small hydro project, rice husk co-generation, solar energy etc.