Kathmandu, December 8
The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has exported Rs 15.238 billion worth of electricity to India over the past six months.
NEA exported 1.7371 billion units of electricity to India from June 11 to December 6.
The authority had exported electricity after generating a maximum of up to 700 megawatts in Nepal. The average selling price of the exported electricity is Rs. 8.77 per unit.
From August 5 to the first week of December, the authority exported electricity worth Rs 13.2367 billion. During this period, 1.4767 billion units of electricity were been exported. The average selling price of the exported electricity is Rs 8.96 per unit.
Managing Director of NEA, Kulman Ghising, has stated that with the onset of the dry season, the production from hydropower plants and the flow of water in rivers have decreased, leading to reduced electricity generation from powerhouses across the country. However, he mentioned that with the increase in domestic demand during the winter, the shortfall is being supplemented by importing electricity from the Indian market.
Ghising said there is a shortfall of 1,700 megawatts in the daily electricity demand, and this deficit is being met by importing a small amount of electricity due to the inability of internal production to fulfil the demand.
“Currently, electricity production and demand are almost equal. We are operating our hydroelectric power plants during the day and storing water at our reservoir-equipped powerhouses, allowing us to generate electricity during the evening and morning peak hours,” says Ghising.
According to him, importing electricity during peak hours is expensive, while the rate is cheaper during the day and night. Therefore, Ghising said that by storing water during the day and night in reservoir-equipped power plants across the country, electricity could be imported at a lower rate from India at that time.
He said that despite some improvement in the results of electricity imports in April and May, this year has seen an increase in exports compared to imports, leading to a situation where Nepal is poised to become a net exporter.
Starting from the second week of May 2024, electricity exports will resume, with an additional 900 megawatts being added to the national transmission system. Therefore, Ghising added that in the next fiscal year, electricity exports worth around Rs 25 to 30 billion are expected.
