Senior officials from Indian companies involved in critical power transmission projects in Bangladesh, which are essential for evacuating electricity from the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP), have yet to return to their jobs, raising concerns about the progress of these projects.
"Few staff from KEC International Limited and Transrail Lighting Limited (TTL) have returned, but none from Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) or other companies have come back," a top official from Power Grid Bangladesh PLC told UNB. The official clarified that the returning staff are mostly locally recruited temporary workers and mid-level officials from KEC, with no senior officials back on site yet.
However, another senior Power Grid Bangladesh official indicated that Indian staff from L&T are expected to rejoin the projects from September 24. "We are waiting to see them resume their work," the official said.
The return of Indian personnel has been delayed since all staff from Indian companies left Bangladesh following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, in the wake of a mass uprising. As a result, the transmission projects involving Indian contractors have come to a standstill.
Currently, Indian companies are engaged in 17 transmission projects across Bangladesh, with L&T, Transrail, and KEC being the primary contractors. Some of these projects are crucial for connecting the Rooppur NPP, scheduled to begin operation in December this year, to the national grid.
"The sudden departure of Indian contractor staff has created uncertainty around these critical projects," said the Power Grid Bangladesh official.
Larsen & Toubro, one of the key contractors, has been awarded major contracts to build transmission infrastructure necessary for evacuating electricity from Bangladesh's first nuclear power plant in Rooppur, Pabna. The company is responsible for installing 400kV and 230kV transmission lines, which are critical components of the grid synchronization and testing process for the RNPP’s first unit, now scheduled for completion in early 2025.
The transmission project, estimated to cost Tk 10,981 crore, is being financed primarily by Exim Bank (Tk 8,219 crore), with contributions from the Bangladesh government (Tk 1,527 crore) and Power Grid Bangladesh (Tk 1,235 crore).
According to the Power Grid Bangladesh PLC, the transmission project includes five major packages—the 464km long 400kV transmission lines, including a 13km river crossing; 205km long 230kV transmission lines, including 7km river crossing; 400kV five Bay extensions; 230kV four bay extensions; and qualitative upgradation of Bangladesh power system for frequency control and frequency drop protection, protection system, emergency control system and other associated tasks.