KATHMANDU: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is preparing to import 1,154 megawatts of electricity from India to prevent load shedding during the upcoming winter, following significant disruptions to domestic power generation caused by recent floods and landslides. The authority has formulated this strategy to balance supply and demand and ensure uninterrupted power for consumers.
According to NEA Executive Director Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha, the plan involves importing 600 megawatts via the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur transmission line, 54 megawatts from the Tanakpur-Mahendranagar route, 350 megawatts from various Bihar transmission points, and an additional 150 megawatts through RTC. During the peak demand period of the previous dry season, Nepal imported up to 800 megawatts of electricity from India.
The authority projects that domestic power generation will drop to 1,218 megawatts during the upcoming dry season as river water levels recede. With the addition of imports, the total electricity availability will reach 2,372 megawatts. Given that the peak national demand last year was 2,292 megawatts and is not expected to rise significantly this year, Shrestha stated that the available power will be sufficient to meet requirements.
Recent floods and landslides have severely impacted hydroelectric production. October floods removed 317 megawatts from the national grid, while floods in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers on Aug. 27 caused an additional 430 megawatts of production to be halted. Despite a shortfall of approximately 750 megawatts in the internal system, the authority claims that effective management of imports will allow for regular power supply to consumers.
