Bangladesh and India shaping South Asia Power Grid

Nov 17, 2011 - steelguru.com

bdnews24.com reported that Bangladesh and India are working together to draw the contours of the proposed South Asia Power Grid, even as the two countries are set to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the energy sector during Indian prime minister Mr Manmohan Singh's visit to Bangladesh on Sep 6 to 7.

The power ministry of the Indian government informed the country's parliament that Delhi and Dhaka were preparing the draft concept papers for the proposed regional power trading regime.

Mr KC Venugopal, India's state minister for power told Lok Sabha that the Lower House of India's bicameral Parliament, that India was preparing two draft concept papers on the proposed South Asia Power Grid.

He said that the first concept paper would focus on framework for planning cross border transmission links and associated system strengthening through joint system studies, methodology for implementation of trans-country transmission infrastructure including financing arrangements, ownership and security of assets.

Mr Venugopal further said that the second concept paper being prepared by New Delhi would focus on operation of stable and secure SAARC coordinated scheduling and settlement procedures for long-term and short term cross-border electricity exchange and trade.

A South Asia Power Grid has since long been in discussion among the government agencies, corporate houses and independent experts. However, it was in the second meeting of the SAARC Expert Group on Electricity at Udaipur in Indian state of Rajasthan on January 18 this year, Bangladesh and India were entrusted with the task of preparing the concept papers.