India renews agreement to export electricity to Nepal for next three months

Nepal’s domestic electricity production currently stands at around 1,200 MW while the country’s demand for electricity is 1,800 MW to 2,000 MW during this period.

PTI, Kathmandu, Mar 29, 2024 :  At a time when Nepal is facing a power crisis, India on Friday renewed the agreement to export electricity to Nepal for the next three months.

     Under the agreement, which was to expire on March 31, Nepal can import a total of 554 MW electricity from India between 6 am and 6 pm.

     Nepal’s domestic electricity production currently stands at around 1,200 MW while the country’s demand for electricity is 1,800 MW to 2,000 MW during this period.

     Nepal is experiencing a shortage of electricity as most of the domestic power plants in the country are based on a run-of-the-river system and during winter, there is less water in the rivers.

     “We have received the notification about the renewal of the agreement to export electricity to Nepal until June end,” Chandan Ghosh, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) spokesperson, told PTI.

     The Himalayan nation can import 500 MW of electricity from the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur cross-border transmission line and 54 MW through Tanakpur, Ghosh added.

     After mid-June, Ghosh said, Nepal will be in a position to export electricity to India.

     The Kathmandu Post newspaper reported that the NEA had sought permission to import 650MW through the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur transmission line but with permission only for 500 MW import, Nepal may face 10-hour-long load shedding.

     Quoting the officials, the report said Nepal is still lobbying with India for power supply during additional hours.