Nepal and Bangladesh are holding energy secretary-level talks in Kathmandu on Thursday, which will be expediting the bilateral works on the promotion of hydropower related issues including joint investment, cooperation and energy trade.

According to the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation (MoEWRI), a joint-secretary level meeting will take place on Wednesday, prior to the secretary-level meeting. “Thursday’s meeting will approve the agendas that will be discussed at the joint-secretary level meeting,” said Madhu Bhetuwal, joint-secretary of MoEWRI.

In the meeting, the ministry is said to be forwarding a proposal to the Bangladeshi counterpart to construct 683 MW Sunkoshi-3 Hydropower Project in collaboration. Bangladesh had shown interest to build Sunkoshi-3 in the energy meeting held last year. In this regard, a technical team from Bangladesh is also scheduled to visit the proposed project site on Tuesday.

The government has already prepared the Environmental Impact Assessment of Sunkoshi-3. The proposed project will spread in four districts - Ramechhap, Sindhuli, Sindhupalchowk and Kavrepalanchowk. With the construction of the storage project, around 4,224 hectares of land area alongside the Sunkoshi and Tamakoshi rivers will be inundated.

According to the feasibility study report, the project will cost an estimated Rs 159.72 billion. The project is scheduled to start construction in 2025 so as to be completed in 2031.

Nepal and Bangladesh went into an energy trade agreement in 2018. Bangladesh is consistently showing interest to purchase electricity from Nepal. It has even proposed the government to buy 500 MW of electricity from the 900 MW Upper Karnali Hydropower Project.