Nepal has officially started supplying electricity to Bangladesh. Through this, the Himalayan country exported electricity to a third country for the first time after India. In all, the country will send 40 megawatts of electricity to Bangladesh.

Nepal started sending electricity to Bangladesh via India on Friday (November 15) as per the tripartite agreement. Before this, the program started in a virtual ceremony in the presence of the respective ministers of the three countries.

Through a virtual event organized by the Nepal government, Energy Advisor of Bangladesh. Fawzul Kabir Khan, India’s Minister for Power and Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal and Nepal’s Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Deepak Khadka jointly inaugurated the power supply.

A government statement from New Delhi said this “historic” moment marks the first tripartite supply of electricity, which is being sent through the Indian grid. It is expected to increase regional cooperation in the power sector.

Nepal Electricity Authority spokesperson Chandan Kumar Ghosh told Chinese media Xinhua that according to the tripartite agreement, Nepal can only sell electricity to Bangladesh for one day in 2024. After that, electricity supply will start again from June 15, 2025.

As there is no direct electricity connection between Bangladesh and Nepal. So this electricity is coming through transmission lines of India. However, since there is not much additional capacity in the connection between India’s grid and Bangladesh’s grid, Nepal will be able to send only 40 MW of electricity. But if the transmission line capacity is increased in future, Nepal will be able to send more electricity, said spokesperson Chandan Kumar Ghosh.

In May-June this year, the then Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahl, during his visit to India, announced a tripartite agreement on the supply of hydropower to Bangladesh. The agreement was signed on October 3.

The country will send power to Bangladesh from their two centers. Out of this, 25 MW of Trishuli and 22 MW of electricity will come from Chilmi Hydropower Project.

As per the agreement, Nepal will export surplus electricity to Bangladesh through intra-India transmission lines from June 15 to November 15 every year. The unit price of electricity is set at 6.4 cents ($1 per 100 cents). In Bangladeshi currency which is about seven and a half taka.

Nepal was supplying power to India since November 2021. As they generate excess hydroelectricity, especially during the monsoon season, they can be exported.