Earlier the government could not implement some projects in power sector due to fund constraints.
By Saleem Samad
Experts, however, describe the mega-plan as unrealistic and impractical. They said the ambitious plan needs huge investment for cross-border electricity trade through difficult areas for construction and transmission of power.
Bangladesh oil and natural gas fields are quickly depleting for the country's power-hungry export industries. The government is under immense political pressure from the investors and entrepreneurs’ apex body to augment power transmission or provide compensation package for their export losses.
The government, led by Sheikh Hasina, is contemplating the importation of power from neighboring India and Burma. The prime minister’s representative has held parleys with the two neighboring governments over the last two years.
The government is planning to import 500 MW of electricity from India by 2013. Another 500 MW of electricity would be imported through a northwest route by 2018. Other imports of 250 MW, 750 MW, and 1000 MW would be made possible from northeast Indian states.
Presently, Burma does not have enough facility to export power. However, Burma has agreed to install two hydropower plants, aiming to export 500 MW of electricity to Bangladesh from the troubled Rakhine state by 2017.
Meanwhile, the import of 250 megawatts of electricity from India has been delayed after the signing of a pact was postponed in March. The signing of the deal with India will be furthered delayed as the governments of the two countries failed to reach any settlement over the dispute regarding transmission of electricity.
M. Tamim, a professor at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and a former energy adviser to an interim government, said the import of electricity depends not only on good regional relationships, but on the budget crunch for establishment of infrastructure for import of electricity from other side of the border.
He told the newspaper The Daily Sun, “The government could not implement some crucial power projects due to fund constraints.”
Another professor at the university, Izaj Hossain, said the 4,500-megawatt electricity import is possible through a regional power exchange agreement by 2030. The purchase of electricity would be expensive from neighboring countries, as it would be costly for construction and maintenance of the grid, he remarked.
Power Division secretary Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad told The Daily Sun that once the regional power grid is ready, it would be possible to import 4500 MW by 2030.
source: AHN
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