Bangladesh agrees to pay 7.7 cents per unit for Upper Karnali power

Opening the door for the first-ever trilateral power trade, Bangladesh has formalised its pledges to buy electricity from the 900-MW Upper Karnali hydel project, which is being developed by GMR Group. The move paves the way for the financial closure of the 900-MW Upper Karnali Hydro Electric Project.
The cabinet committee on Public Purchase (CCPP) of Bangladesh today gave the green signal to import power at a rate of 7.71 cents per unit – which is equivalent to Rs 8.80 per unit – for a period of 25 years, reported Bangladeshi newspaper Dhaka Tribune.
The energy-hungry Bangladesh will pay out a massive Tk381.60 billion (equivalent to Rs 511.69 billion) over 25 years to procure 500-MW of electricity.
On November 21, Bangladeshi State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid –speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the seventh Power Summit in Kathmandu – had hinted that they would get the PPA rate endorsed from their cabinet at the earliest.
GMR appointed project head of Upper Karnali in Nepal Kulmeet Sharma confirmed the development.
The tariff rate – a key point in the discussions between Indian developer and Bangladeshi energy officials – is around 2.5 cents less than what GMR Energy had offered to Bangladesh. “It will now help GMR to arrange funds for the construction of the hydel plant because the lender will approve credit only if a market for the electricity to be generated by the project is secured,” he said, adding that now a letter of intent from Bangladesh is expected within 4 to 5 weeks. “After the project receives the letter of intent, it will open the doors to make financing arrangements to build the hydropower project in the western Nepal.”
GMR is accelerating the pace to complete the necessary work for energy trade and working towards the project’s financial closure by 2020, he added.
According to the GMR, it plans to collect 15 per cent of investment through Nepali banks and financial institutions and the initial agreement has been made with them. Nabil Bank and Nepal Investment Bank have shown interest to lead the debt consortium for the 15 per cent financing. “We are also in negotiations with Indian Exim Bank, Chinese Exim Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank (WB) and Netherlands Development Finance Company and other multilateral lenders for the remaining project financing,” Sharma said, adding that the project will be built as per engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) model and the contract will be awarded to the selected firms by March, if everything goes as planned. “GMR has selected three companies for civil, hydromechanical and other infrastructure works and seven companies for electromechanical works through open bidding.”
GMR added that it had signed an MoU with NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd of India for sale of surplus electricity generated by the project. It is also trying to sign an off-take agreement with Bangladesh Power Development Board.
Nepal will receive 108 MW – out of the remaining 400 MW – free of cost, while GMR plans to sell the rest to the government of the Indian state of Haryana.
Bangladesh Power Development Board and GMR – last year – has signed a principal agreement on the commercial terms of the power purchase agreement (PPA), excluding tariff rates and they were negotiating on the rates since then due to high tariff proposed by the developer.
The export-oriented Upper Karnali hydropower project has a high price tag due to surcharges placed on the use of Nepali and Indian transmission lines. As the developer is required to relay energy using Nepali and Indian infrastructure, it will have to pay wheeling charges to both Nepal and India, and apart from the charges, the loss of electricity in long-distance transmission is also usually high.
Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with India’s NVVN to import electricity from the Upper Karnali scheme via India during Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India in April 2017. As Indian laws don’t allow private developers to export electricity produced in third countries over Indian transmission lines, Bangladesh signed a MoU with the state-owned cross-border electricity trading agency while GMR was a witness.
GMR Energy and the government signed a MoU on construction of the hydel plant in 2008. Modelled to run in full capacity for only three months in a year, cost of the reservoir-type Upper Karnali is estimated to hover around $1.1 billion.

GMR to sell Upper Karnali electricity to Bangladesh

GMR Upper Karnali Hydropower is planning to sign a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Bangladeshi government.
GMR Upper Karnali Hydropower – a subsidiary of GMR Energy India – is preparing to sign grid connection agreement with Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and Haryana Power Generation Corporation (HPGC) to sell at least 300 megawatts (MW) to each.
A team from the Bangladeshi government is likely to visit the project site in western Nepal soon and start PPA negotiations with the developer.
"We have already signed the memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with them,” said chief operating officer of Hydro Business of GMR Energy Harvinder Manocha. "After BPDB and HPGC sign power purchase agreement with us, we will be able to obtain loans for financial closure."
The GMR Upper Karnali Hydropower is close to achieving financial closure.
GMR Energy India – the developer of the 900 MW Upper Karnali Hydroelectric Project – will evacuate energy produced by the project to Bangladesh via India.
Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with India’s NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN) to import electricity from Upper Karnali via India during Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India in April 2017. "The tariff rate will be mutually finalised by GMR and Bangladesh after negotiations."
According to GMR, as Indian laws don’t allow private developers to export electricity produced in third countries over Indian transmission lines, Bangladesh signed a MoU with the state-owned cross-border electricity trading agency while GMR was the witness. "It is clearly written in the MoU that the energy that NVVN will supply to Bangladesh will come from Upper Karnali."
Manocha said that some international lenders have shown interest to provide loan for GMR’s Upper Karnali project as the developer is gearing up to sign PPA for 600 MW of the energy out of installed capacity of 900 MW. Developer has to achieve financial closure within the deadline of September 18, 2017 given by the Investment Board Nepal (IBN).
"Everything is moving ahead smoothly," he said, adding that the company wants to develop Upper Karnali as a regional project. "It will be a model project for foreign investors willing to come to Nepal."
When the project development agreement (PDA) was signed in September 2014, the cost of the 900-MW project was expected to hover around $1.03 billion. However, the developer believes that cost could escalate to $1.5 billion.
GMR has also shortlisted the bidders for civil and electromechanical works and bidders will be finalised soon. Once the project begins construction, around 5,000 people are expected to get employment opportunity. Nepal will receive 27 per cent free equity and 12 per cent free energy from Upper Karnali project.
Apart from that, Nepali suppliers of construction materials will also stand to benefit, according to the developer that had been given seven years to conclude the construction. The project must be handed over to the government after 25 years from the date of power commissioning, according to the PDA.
Despite all these positive developments, the project is facing a major roadblock from the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation as it recently introduced a new guideline ‘Utilisation of Forest Area by National Priority Projects’, which requires ‘land to land’ compensation for the utilisation of land in the forest area.
Earlier, the ministry was willing to provide 5,000 ropanis of government land for nominal lease fees and sought compensation for land area where permanent structures like dam, power house would be built. The developer is going to purchase 1,000 ropanis of private land in Dailekh and Achham districts.
On the other hand, as per the new forest rules, the developer needs to plant 25 saplings in another area of similar topography for chopping every tree for the project and nurture the saplings for five years.
The developer has complained about the recent stringent forest rules to the government. Private sector developers have also been urging the government to respect the PDA as a bilateral document and ensure policy stability for the development of the power sector.

Chinese company to develop 750-MW West Seti

A meeting of Investment Board Nepal chaired by Prime Minister Sushil Koirala today approved investment from a Chinese company to develop the 750-megawatt West Seti Hydropower Project.
The project that is estimated to cost Rs 160 billion will now be developed by a joint venture with Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) and CWE Investment Corporation, a subsidiary of China’s Three Gorges Corporation (TGC). The state power utility, NEA will have 25 per cent in equity, and CWEI will inject investment for the equity and borrow the remaining amount.
The joint venture will conduct geological tests before monsoon for the mega hydropower
project that is going to be constructed in Baitadi, Bajura, Dadeldhura and Doti districts of Far Wester Region, according to the chief executive officer of the Board Radhesh Pant.
Soon after completion of geological and hydrological tests, we will begin negotiations on Project Development Agreement (PDA) with the Chinese company,” he said, adding that the project will start generating power in 2023, if everything goes according to the plan.
Earlier in August 2012, the government had formally handed over the West Seti hydropower project – that was then aimed at domestic consumption – to the CWEI, after a memorandum of understanding was signed between the company and the Board. The board – that looks after mega projects – had then started preliminary negotiation with the project developer. But the NEA was hesitant to seal the deal as it was worried of power surplus by 2017 – as more power producers are generating power lately – whereas the Chinese developer was also not sure of the market, in case of power surplus in Nepal. The state power utility is the sole buyer of electricity developed by all the developers.
However, after Nepal-India Power Trade Agreement (PTA) recently, NEA and the Chinese developer, came near to agreement. The PTA allows both Nepal and India to buy and sell electricity.
The 750-MW project also got back on leak after the visit – in March end – of China Three Gorges Corporation chairman Lu Chun, who met with the premier Koirala to discuss the issues of resettlement and rehabilitation of the displaced families by the project.
The Board has also decided to charge $1,500 per MW in negotiation fee for Power Development Agreement (PDA) as the project is not handed through open bidding like Upper Karnali and Arun III. The developer has to pay the fee either the negotiations become successful or unsuccessful. A seven-member team has been formed under Pant for the negotiation.
The project was envisioned some two decades ago as Snowy Mountain Engineering Corporation (SMEC) had shown interest in developing the project. The first study was also conducted in 1987. The government was however forced to revoke the licence of the Australian company as it failed to start work after repeated renewal.
Meanwhile, the Board also decided to amend the project negotiation agreement for Tamakoshi III hydropower project. The chief executive is authorised for the amendment. It has also decided to form an expert committee to review the amendment.

Investment Board of Nepal, GMR sign PDA for Upper Karnali

Investment Board of Nepal and Indian company Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao (GMR) Energy today signed Project Development Agreement (PDA) for construction of the $1.5 billion Upper Karnali Hydropower Project in western Nepal.

Investment Board of Nepal chief executive officer Radhesh Pant, president of Hydro Energy Business Unit of GMR RV Seshan and Nepal chief Harvinder Manocha signed the agreement after six years of signing of memorandum of understanding between Nepal government and India’s GMR-ITD Consortium.

The Project Development Agreement is expected to open a door for the Indian company to move ahead for financial close and construction of the 900 megawatt Upper Karnali Hydropower Project.

According to the PDA, Nepal will get 27 per cent free equity and 12 per cent (108 MW) free electricity from the project. Likewise, the agreement also ensured handover of the project, along with the 100-km transmission line, to the government after 25 years of operation.

GMR is planning to sell the remaining 88 per cent energy to India, Bangladesh and Nepal. However, the price will depend on the final project cost and the situation of demand and supply in the market on completion of the 900 MW hydel project.

Likewise, GMR will also construct a 2-MW project that will supply electricity round the year to locals. More than 2,000 people are expected to get employment opportunity from the project estimated to cost Rs 145 billion.

The project will bring road connectivity, hospital, technical school and bridge in the district.

Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, some of his cabinet colleagues, senior government officials, visiting Indian home minister Rajnath Singh and ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae were present at the signing ceremony at Singha Durbar in Kathmandu, on the occasion.

The agreement will be implemented with immediate effect, said deputy prime minister and home minister Bam Dev Gautam, after signing of the agreement.

"The agreement has opened the door for developing other large hydropower projects in Nepal," he added.

Likewise, wishing timely completion of the project visiting Indian home minister Singh termed the agreement a 'historic' one. "I believe this is the single biggest foreign investment in the history of Nepal," he said, adding that the success of GMR in Nepal will ensure credibility of both the company and India both.

The Investment Board of Nepal had been working hard on PDA negotiation with GMR since last June. But according to Pant, serious negotiations actually began last September. "Today's PDA agreement is the outcome of several rounds of discussions with stakeholders and has addressed issues raised by them," he said, adding that the board has prepared the PDA document according to the international norms and standards and good practices. Pant also said Nepal can buy energy at competitive market rates from the export-oriented project.

"GMR Group will mobilise 25 per cent equity capital while the remaining 75 per cent will be raised from international lenders including International Finance Corporation (IFC)," Seshan said, after signing the agreement.

There will not be any problem in raising prerequisite equity and debt capital to execute the project,” he said, adding that the GMR was confident of completing the financial closure within two years, according to the PDA. "We will implement the project within the next five years."

However, construction of re-regulating dam by GMR is yet to be finalised.

"The decision will be taken based on the consultation with Nepal government once the joint study team submits its report,” Seshan added.

According to the PDA, the Indian developer will have to build the re-regulating dam on its own, if the study report shows Upper Karnali will impact water flow for downstream irrigation project. Construction of the re-regulating dam was suggested by an independent study team has been included in the PDA document after experts and Irrigation Ministry drew attention to the matter, saying the hydropower project would affect irrigation projects.

Likewise, planning commission vice chair Dr Govind Raj Pokharel, who led the technical team to study the PDA, hoped that the PDA signing would be a first step towards the prosperity of Nepal. "It will also send message of an improved investment climate in the country," he added.

The Cabinet has approved the PDA yesterday after the Investment Board of Nepal approved the amended PDA draft a day ago on Thursday.

The government yesterday also formed a high-level task force led by Dr Pokharel for the implementation of the project that is planned to be generate power by 2021. The panel will help address problems arising during project development.

The 900-MW Upper Karnali Hydro Power project – located on Karnali river in the Surkhet, Dailekh and Achham districts – was awarded to the GMR Group through an International competitive bidding process in 2008 on BOOT model.

National pride projects fail to perform, under utilise budget

Despite timely budget for the current fiscal year, the government has miserably failed to expedite the development projects that could have not only generated employment but also pushed the economic growth.

The government has been able to spend only Rs 2.82 billion, which is only 12.9 per cent of the total budget Rs 21.85 billion for the total 21 national pride projects.

The national pride projects include large-scale hydro – like 750 MW West Seti Hydropower and 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower – irrigation projects –  like Sikta, Ranijamara-Kulariya and Babai – and international and regional airports like Pokhara and Bhairahawa, and highways like Fast Track, Mid Hill Highway and Postal Highway but the delay in implementation, lack of coordination among various state agencies, problems in land acquisition have taken toll in the development, according to the mid-term review of the budget.

The three projects – Bhairahawa Regional International Airport, Second International Airport and West Seti Hydropower Project – have become the poorest performers with no spending, the report stated, adding that the West Seti Hydroelectric Project has not yet completed feasibility study, whereas second international airport in Nijgad has been delayed due to confusion on construction modality.

Similarly, Bheri-Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project – that could also generate 48 MW electricity and provide irrigation facility to 60,000 hectares of land in Bardiya and Banke – has also been able to spend only Rs 3.31 million out of its Rs 1.01 billion budget.

Babai Irrgation Project project was started in 1989 with an objective of irrigating 36,000 hectares of land, and Banke-based Sikta Irrigation Project is expected to irrigate some 42,766 hectares of land. Sikta Irrigation Project has been able to spend around quarter of its total budget of Rs 1.14 billion budget.

Likewise, Ranijamara Kulariya Irrigation Project has spent around 33 per cent of its total budget of Rs 1.25 billion.

Likewise, Kathmandu-Terai Fast Track Project – that has been allocated Rs 500.31 million for this fiscal – has been able to utilise only Rs 3.92 million that is less than one per cent of the total budget in the six month of the current fiscal year also due to private sector's lack of interest in the project. The project was supposed to be constructed in public-private partnership model.

Yet another project that has become a prestige issue for the Asian Development Bank, Melamchi Water Supply Project, has been able to spend only Rs 638.50 million that is 12.18 per cent of its total budget of Rs 5.24 billion.

Of the five components of the Melamchi Water Supply Project, the tunnel – one of the major components – has started after a long disturbance and the project that took 15 years has set postponed the deadline for completion.

The report also stated that the national priority projects were selected without any solid basis. "The numbers of national pride projects increased but they have been just occupying huge resources without implementation,” it stated, adding that Mid Hill Highway has spent 17.12 per cent of the budget in the six months. "Only 1.5-km of track has been opened, with the graveling of one-km being completed in the western sector of the 1,108-km long highway. Likewise, in the eastern section, only four-km road has been graveled with eight-km being black-topped."

The Postal Highway has been able to spent only Rs 153.65 million out of its total budget of Rs 2.21 billion, whereas Budhigandaki Hydroelectric Project has spent the largest above 60 per cent of its Rs 260.99 million budget followed by Pashupati Area Development Fund that has reported some 59 per cent spending, the report stated.

Under utilisation of budget by the development projects is a serious concern for the government," finance minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat said, addressing the mid-term budget review meeting here today. "If it continues, budget for under-performing projects would be transferred to other projects that are moving smoothly and demanding more funds for their speedy completion.

Surprisingly, all most all of the projects are under multi-year budgetary framework that needs no separate approval every year as they are prioritised.

EDF in talks to buy GMR stake in Upper Karnali Hydropower project

French government-owned power utility Electricite de France SA (EDF) is planning to buy stake of GMR's hydropower project in Nepal.

The EDF is currently in talks with Bangalore-based infrastructure conglomerate GMR Group to acquire a stake in 900-megawatt (MW) Upper Karnali hydropower project, according to the French company that confirmed EDF's interest in acquiring stake in the hydel project.

The GMR will still be lead investor in the hydropower project as the EDF will have less than 51 per cent stake.

Though the value of the possible deal is not confirmed, the EDF’s interest in the Indian energy sector has been reflected by its earlier investment in ACME Solar Energy.

EDF’s renewable energy arm and EREN, another French company, plans to invest a total of Rs 8.80 billion in New Delhi-based ACME Solar to set up solar power plants in India.

As the GMR Group has previously articulated its 'asset light, asset right' policy to 'develop, build, create value, divest and reinvest', the deal looks possible, the company added.

The group has sold several of its power, road and airport projects. GMR has 15 power generation projects, of which eight are operational and seven are being built. It also has nine road projects, of which seven are operational.

GMR Infrastructure had a total stand-alone debt of Rs 6.52 billion. The group’s consolidated debt stands at 642.22 billion as of September 30.

GMR Infrastructure’s loss widened to Rs 7.05 billion in the quarter that ended in December compared with a loss of Rs 3.47 billion a year ago and Rs 6.28 billion in the preceding quarter.

GMR Group today said that it had sold a 74 per cent stake in GMR Ulundurpet Expressways to India Infrastructure Fund of IDFC in a deal that releases capital to the tune of Rs 3.16 billion and reduces debt on its books by Rs 7.20 billion.

As executing a hydropower project is a time-consuming, costly and tedious process that includes a thorough survey and investigation, preparation of a detailed project report, relocation and resettlement of the affected population and infrastructure development, the GMR changed its policy to 'asset light, asset right'.

A consortium comprising GMR Energy and Italian-Thai Development Public Company (ITD) is developing the 900-MW Upper Karnali hydropower project on Karnali river on build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) model.

While the country is suffering 12 hours scheduled load shedding everyday, most of the investors, mostly Indian investors, have been interested in developing hydropower, also due to its huge untapped potential, but prolonged political transition has delayed the projects.

GMR may exit partially from Nepal

The Indian Group that has been planning to construct Upper Karnali hydropower project may exit some of its assets in Nepal, according to the news reports.

It is assessing valuation of Nepal assets that could be in the range of Rs 1,000 crore Indian Currency (IC), the reports claimed, adding that the GMR has two large projects with 100 per cent stake in Nepal. "The project that they are currently working on is Upper Karnali hydropower project that the GMR Energy and GMR Infrastructure are co-developing and co-owning the hydel project. They have around 70 per cent to 80 per cent stake in the project.

But the reports claimed that GMR has started talks with buyers like Morgan Stanley.

The valuation is fairly substantial because the amount that they had put in into the hydropower project was roughly around Rs 4500 crore IC to Rs 5000 crore IC and they are looking at least Rs 1,000 crore IC.

GMR will need to – at some point need – probably to temper its price down and bring it to around Rs 8,00 crore IC, according to the reports.

The GMR has also been looking at consolidating its road assets, if the reports are to be believed. "So amongst their road assets there is one sell which is likely to happen sometime."

The GMR has been looking at selling the Vijayawada and Hyderabad highway project since last eight-nine months, the reports quoted sources adding that Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Fund has emerged as a likely frontrunner to buy that out in valuations roughly around Rs 8,00 crore IC to Rs 9,00 crore IC. The overall debt of GMR currently stands at around Rs 40,000 crore IC.

The partial selling of Nepal assets is expected to bring them an interest saving of roughly around Rs 1,00 crore IC, if they get the valuation that they are looking at. "Even the road assets as a whole should bring in some amount of interest saving as well," the reports in Indian media projected.