India net exporter of electricity to its neighbours

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has stated that for the first time, India has become a net exporter of electricity during the April-February period. During this period, India exported around 5,798 Million Units to Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar which is 213 Million units more than the import of around 5,585 Million units from Bhutan. In the last three years, export to Nepal and Bangladesh increased 2.5 and 2.8 times respectively.  The cross border trade of electricity had started in the mid eighties and since then, India used to import power from Bhutan to the tune of around  5,000-5,500 Million units. It has also been exporting 190 MW power to Nepal over 12 cross border interconnections at 11kV, 33kV and 132 kV level. India had also been exporting around 190 MW power to Nepal over 12 cross border interconnections at 11kV, 33kV and 132 kV level. With the commissioning of Muzaffarpur (India) - Dhalkhebar (Nepal) 400kV line (being operated at 132 kV) in 2016, the export power to Nepal has further increased by around 145 MW. In September 2013, the first cross border Interconnection between Baharampur in India and Bheramara in Bangladesh at 400kV was commissioned and this gave a boost to the export of power to Bangladesh.  At present, around 600 MW power is being exported to Bangladesh.  The power companies have also been able to boost their output due to a massive surge in the local supply of raw materials like coal in the past two years.  There are plans to set up a few more cross border links with neighbouring countries which will help to further increase the export of power.