Power flow through BIPTC boosting economy

JHENIDAH, Aug 2: Bangladesh India Power Transmission Centre (BIPTC), Bheramara, is contributing significantly to the economy as per unit rate of power of the station is far cheaper than that of the Rental Power Plants (RPPs).
To establish a grid interconnection between Bangladesh and India for facilitating the exchange of electricity as and when it is possible and feasible and to meet up the ever increasing demand of electricity for socio-economic development in both the countries, BIPTC, Bheramara was established.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the operation of the station with the power flow of 175 Megawatts (MW) from India on October 5, 2013 and on December 4 of the same year, power flow of 500 MW started from India to Bangladesh.
Due to some technical losses, however, Bangladesh is now getting power of 450MW through the line in the national greed on an average.
Executive Engineer, BIPTC, Bheramara Md. Alamgir Hossain told this correspondent that the power which the country is purchasing from RPPs costs nearly Tk. 20 per unit. But power is being imported for Tk. 6.00 per unit from the neighbouring country.
Because of flowing power through the zone, the power quality has been improved (voltage, frequency). As a result, the farmers are getting electricity with proper voltage and frequency for their irrigation purpose at present. As a whole, a tremendous reduction of loadsheding has happened in 10 districts of Khulna division and 3 districts of Rajshahi division - Natore, Pabna and Rajshahi.
It was observed in the past that many pump motors had been burnt due to low voltage of electricity in Kushtia zone. After the starting of import of power from India, such type of happenings has not been reported in the locality.
The capacity of the station is 500MW High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC). However, it has a provision of 1,000MW power because the line capacity of the line is more than 1,000MW.
Bangladesh is now importing 500MW power at a cost of Tk. 16,000 million. This power supply, however, can be enhanced up to 1, 000MW by installing another pole spending extra Tk. 6,000-7,000 million.
Md. Istiak Hasan, Project Director, BIPTC, Bheramara told the FE Bangladesh is a developing country and rate of industrial growth of this country is high. For more industry, we need more supply of electricity. In order to mitigate this excess supply of electricity, more power plants are required to be established. On the other hand, power production is constantly interrupted due to shortage of fuel. So, electricity import is one of the solutions to keep the trend of development on. Per unit cost of import power is far cheaper than that of per unit cost of rental power in Bangladesh. In the view of above establishment, such type of power interconnection station is profitable in the economic situation of Bangladesh.