Dhaka will seek Beijing's assistance to implement seven power and energy projects involving an estimated $1.0 billion during the prime minister's forthcoming visit.
State minister for power, energy and mineral resources Nasrul Hamid said this to the media on Thursday.
Of the schemes, one will be Moheshkhali to Bakhrabad third parallel gas transmission pipeline and the remaining six encompass power transmission lines.
Once agreed, both countries are expected to ink a memorandum of understanding (MoU) during PM Sheikh Hasina's tour of China from July 08 to 11, he added.
Mr Hamid made the disclosures while addressing a post-budget press briefing in his Secretariat office.
He said the final deal to initiate the import of 40 megawatt (MW) of electricity from Nepal would be done this month.
Bangladesh is also eyeing to import 1,000 MW of renewable power from India, the minister said, adding that an MoU to this end has already been inked.
Regarding the ongoing natural gas crisis, he said the crisis would be over after July 15-16.
The damaged LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminal of Summit Group is expected to resume LNG regasification from July 15 on completion of its repair.
Mr Hamid expects no gas crisis from 2027 when two more floating, storage and regasification units (FSRUs) will be installed.
The overall natural gas demand will then soar to 6,000 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd), according to him.
Power supply will also improve within the next three to four days, said Mr Hamid as India's Adani Power Jharkhand Ltd (APJL) has restarted supplying electricity in full capacity after being shut for a couple of days on technical glitch.
The second unit of the Payra coal-fired power plant also initiated operations recently, he added.
At the programme, the minister said the government was incurring huge losses in providing electricity to consumers as production cost is higher than that of sales.
The soaring US dollar price is also contributing to higher power-generation costs, he said.
Bangladesh taka was exchanged at Tk 79 for one dollar when most of the coal-fired power plants were awarded, which has now jumped up to Tk 117, he clarified.
According to Mr Hamid, power tariff is likely to go up again with an eye to reducing losses.
"The government is providing 50 per cent in subsidy in the power sector, but this trend should not continue for long."
The government is also working to ensure contribution of renewable energy at 10 per cent as soon as possible.
A letter of intent has been issued to implement 2,500 MW of renewable energy, the minister said, adding that these plants would come on line by next year.
Besides, 6,000 MW more renewable energy projects are in the pipeline.
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