Indian companies to boost Bangladesh power infrastructure

BY S VENKAT NARAYAN

Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, April 2:

Indian companies Larsen and Toubro (L&T) and Transrail Lighting Ltd are among those awarded contracts for the construction of power infrastructure related to the Rooppur nuclear power project in Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina had green- flagged the construction of five transmission lines at a cost of $442.11 million during Modi’s visit to Bangladesh for the celebrations linked to 50 years of the country’s independence.

“These have been awarded to companies of good repute such as L&T and Transrail Lighting Ltd,” a person familiar with the development said.

The Rooppur power plant is being constructed by Russia and Bangladesh with India helping with “the infrastructure development for power evacuation facilities.” The pact for the 1,200MW plant was signed between the two nations in November 2011.

Construction of the main buildings and structures of the power units is underway, according to Rosatom, the Russian company involved in the plant construction.

India had committed concessional financing of $1.016 billion under a line of credit worth $4.5 billion extended to Bangladesh in 2017 during a visit by Sheikh Hasina to New Delhi.

“Indian lines of credit create market openings for Indian companies. India is very well placed to provide such services as Russia is already building similar power plants for India at Koodankulam in Tamil Nadu,” said former Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal.

“A joint venture between Russia, Bangladesh and India reduces costs for Russia and Bangladesh and provides commercial opportunities for Indian companies,” he added.

India’s collaboration in the power and energy sector in Bangladesh is not new. India is supplying 1,160MW of power to Bangladesh through two existing interconnections.

“India and Bangladesh are also in talks for the construction of a 765kV power interconnection through Katihar in India via Parbatipur in Bangladesh to Bornagar in India. When constructed, it will reinforce interconnection of grids in the region,” Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said last month.