Tripura eyes power export to Nepal, Awaits Centre’s Nod
Agartala, Oct 17 — Tripura is exploring possibilities to export power to Nepal even as the State do not share border with Nepal. Notably, Tripura is one of the few electricity-surplus states in the Northeast region.
Power and Agriculture Minister of Tripura, Ratan Lal Nath made the announcement today.
Speaking after inaugurating a 132 KV sub-station at Gokulnagar under the North Eastern Region (NER) Power System Improvement Project, at the Gokulnagar Rastarmatha Sports Ground in Sepahijala district, Nath said that discussions are underway to enable the proposed power supply to Nepal. A meeting on the matter was recently held in New Delhi, and the final approval will rest with the Central government, he added.
The minister also disclosed plans to establish an 800 MW pumped storage power project at Chawmanu in Dhalai district, for which a Detailed Project Report (DPR) is currently being prepared. Additionally, a new 400 KV sub-station will be set up at Suryamani Nagar near Agartala to strengthen the power supply network, including cross-border transmission to Bangladesh.
Nath added that the state government is pursuing a comprehensive solar initiative, aiming to equip all government offices with rooftop solar power systems to meet their energy requirements and promote sustainable electricity use across Tripura.
Tripura already exports electricity to its western neighbor, Bangladesh with which the State shares 856 km long border. Since March 2016, the state has been supplying 100 MW of power to Bangladesh from the ONGC Tripura Power Company (OTPC) plant located in Palatana in the Gomati district of Tripura. According to the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL), the supply sometimes increases to as much as 160 MW, depending on demand.
Tripura already exports electricity to its western neighbor, Bangladesh with which the State shares 856 km long border. Since March 2016, the state has been supplying 100 MW of power to Bangladesh from the ONGC Tripura Power Company (OTPC) plant located in Palatana in the Gomati district of Tripura. According to the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL), the supply sometimes increases to as much as 160 MW, depending on demand.
A senior TSECL official stated that the power export agreement, first signed in 2016, has been renewed twice to maintain a steady supply. He further revealed that the Bangladesh government has recently sought an increase in supply to 250 MW to meet its rising energy needs, though the proposal is still under consideration.
“With World Bank assistance, around Rs 935 crore is being invested to implement combined cycle gas turbine technology at the Rokhia power project in Sepahijala district. This will allow us to double power generation using the same volume of gas.”
Highlighting Tripura’s efforts to improve energy generation efficiency, Minister Nath said that the state is adopting advanced technologies as natural gas availability continues to decline. “With World Bank assistance, around Rs 935 crore is being invested to implement combined cycle gas turbine technology at the Rokhia power project in Sepahijala district. This will allow us to double power generation using the same volume of gas,” he explained.
Although Tripura does not share a boundary with Nepal, the Himalayan country borders five Indian states—Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand—spanning about 1,751 kilometres.
