• Nepal, India and Bangladesh signed a long-awaited tripartite agreement to facilitate cross-border electricity trade.

• As per the agreement, Nepal will export its surplus electricity to Bangladesh via India annually during the rainy season, from June 15 to November 15. 

• Nepal will use India’s transmission line to distribute electricity through its territory to Bangladesh.

• In the first phase, Nepal will export 40 MW of hydroelectricity to Bangladesh via Indian territory.

• Electricity will be exported to Bangladesh via the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur 400 KV transmission line, with the metering point in Muzaffarpur.

Interconnection with neighbouring countries

• India is centrally placed in the South Asian region and with cross border interconnections with neighbouring countries, playing a major role in effective utilisation of regional resources.

• Further, to facilitate import/export of electricity between India and neighbouring countries, Ministry of Power have issued the ‘Guidelines for Import/Export (Cross Border) of Electricity’ on December 18, 2018. 

• India has also developed expertise in high capacity high voltage transmission projects including 400kV and 765kV and HVDC systems. 

• Presently, India is connected with Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. 

India-Nepal

Nepal is interconnected with India at various places through 11kV, 33kV, 132kV and 220kV lines. For transfer of bulk power, interconnection between India and Nepal through Dhalkebar (Nepal) - Muzaffarpur (India) 400kV D/C transmission line has been constructed. A total of about 700 MW of power is being supplied to Nepal through these interconnections.   

Further, 400kV D/C Gorakhpur (India) – Butwal (Nepal) line, 400kV D/C Dhalkebar (Nepal) – Sitamarhi (India) line, 132kV D/C Nanpara, Bihar (India)  – Kohalpur (Nepal), stringing of second circuit of 132kV line Kataiya (India) – Kushaha (Nepal) and 132 kV Raxaul (India) – Parwanipur (Nepal) lines have been agreed.

India-Bhutan 

India and Bhutan already are connected through various 400kV, 220kV and 132kV lines, mainly for import of about 2,000 MW power from Tala hydroelectric plant (1,020 MW), Chukha hydroelectric plant (336MW), Kurichu hydroelectric plant (60MW) and Mangdechu hydroelectric plant (720 MW) in Bhutan to India.

Further, Punatsangchu-I (1,200 MW) and Punatsangchu-II (1,020 MW) hydroelectric plants in Bhutan, are expected to be commissioned by 2024-25. The transmission system for transfer of this power from these projects to India is already in place. With the commissioning of these hydroelectric plants the power transfer between Bhutan and India would be enhanced to about 4,200 MW.

India-Bangladesh

A high capacity interconnection between India and Bangladesh exists through Baharampur (India) – Bheramara (Bangladesh) 400kV D/C lines along with 2x500 MW HVDC back-to-back terminal at Bheramara. Another 400kV (operated at 132kV) interconnection exits between Surajmaninagar (Tripura) in India to Comilla in Bangladesh. These interconnections cumulatively facilitate transfer of power of the order of 1160 MW to Bangladesh.

Further, to enable more intra-regional electricity trade, including competitively-priced power generated from Hydro-electric power projects in India, Nepal and Bhutan; development a 765kV Double Circuit cross-border electricity interconnection between Katihar (India), Parbatipur (Bangladesh) and Bornagar (India) was agreed in the India-Bangladesh Joint Statement during Official Visit of Prime Minister of Bangladesh to India.

India-Myanmar

India is providing about 3 MW of power from Moreh in Manipur (India) to Tamu town in Myanmar through 11 kV transmission line. Strengthening of more low capacity links at various places along the border is being jointly worked out. High capacity link between the countries is also under discussion.

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