Bangladesh, Myanmar & China agree on crossborder electricity trading

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NAY PYI TAW - Myanmar, China and Bangladesh on Friday reached an agreement on electric power trade at a trilateral ministerial meeting in Nay Pyi Taw.

Matters relating to starting trilateral cross-border power trading and its implementation mechanism were discussed at the plenary meeting, aimed at enhancing cooperation on electric power trading through promoting the interconnection of power grid and infrastructure development among the three countries.

The trilateral agreement to trade electric power among neighboring countries could help with the improvement of energy security, sharing of electricity resources, infrastructure development, capacity development of officials and job opportunity as well as strengthening of long term friendship and fulfilling of the basic requirements of electricity supply to support the economic development for each country, a statement of Myanmar's Electricity and Energy Ministry said.

Present at the meeting were Myanmar's Union Minister U Win Khaing for Electricity and Energy, vice administrator of National Energy Administration of China Li Fanrong, advisor to Prime Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Affairs of Bangladesh Dr. Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury BB.
http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201803/09/WS5aa27fd1a3106e7dcc140b8c.html

 

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As per current policy and legal framework, Bangladesh cannot source more than 16% (would be 10% in the upcoming revised mater plan) of its total electricity from a Single country. Bangladeshi govt wanted to import electricity from both Bhutan & Nepal, which would require a 12-15 km of grid lines over Indian territory but the Indian authority have denied the request. Instead they proposed to buy electricity from Nepal & Bhutan and resell that to Bangladesh. Very recently Indian authorities also offered to export up to 30% of electricity demand of Bangladesh. Also India wants to use Bangladeshi territory to build grid lines to take electricity to its NE regions. Well, so far Bangladeshi govt has not agreed to Indian proposals and also they have planned to import electricity from as far as Cambodia via a likewise multi-lateral power trading platform stated above.