Nepal, India, B'desh sign pact to facilitate cross-border electricity trade

Nepal, India and Bangladesh on Thursday signed a tripartite agreement to facilitate cross-border electricity trade, officials here said.

As per the agreement, Nepal will export its surplus electricity to Bangladesh via India from June 15 to November 15 every year. India will make arrangements to supply electricity from Nepal to Bangladesh. In the first phase, Nepal will export 40 MW of hydroelectricity to Bangladesh via Indian territory.

The rate per unit of electricity has been fixed at 6.4 cents. From the export of electricity, Nepal will make an annual income of around $ 9.2 million, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) officials said.

The MoU was signed in Kathmandu between NEA Executive Director Kulman Ghising, NTPC Vidyut Byapar Nigam CEO Deino Naran, and Bangladesh Power Development Board Chairman Mohamad Rizwan Karim, Nepal's Ministry of Energy officials said.

Nepal's Energy Minister Dipak Khadka and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sayeda Rijwana Hasan were also present on the occasion, the officials said.