Cabinet nod for BIMSTEC grid interconnection

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the Power Ministry's proposal to sign the MOU for "Establishment of the BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection", a cabinet communique said.

It will be signed among member states of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) at its upcoming third energy ministers' meeting to be held in Nepal shortly.

Bimstec is an international organisation involving a group of countries in South Asia and South East Asia - Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal.

Under the "BIMSTEC Trans-Power Exchange and Development Project", it was decided that a task force led by Thailand, with representatives of member countries, would give a report on draft MoU for grid interconnections.

Subsequently, the draft MoU was finalised by the task force in March 16, 2015.

This MoU will provide a broad framework for the parties to cooperate towards the implementation of grid interconnections for the trade in electricity with a view to promoting rational and optimal power transmission in the region.

--IANS

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