He also said power woes will extend up to 20 hours per day during dry seasons in 2012 and 2013 respectively, an upper limit never reached before, adding that after five years there would be no power cut during wet seasons.[break]
He, however, said people will still have to bear the brunt of load-shedding during dry seasons even after five years.
"After five years, we will still have power cuts up to 10 hours per day during February-March. In other months of the dry season, there will be 4 hours power cut per day," said Mahat speaking at the parliament´s Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
Expressing hope that Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project (456 MW) will start generating electricity after five years, Mahat tried to convince the PAC members that several other projects, which are expected to complete in five-year time, will also help reduce load-shedding.
"Not only projects aiming to cater to domestic needs will provide power after five years but we will also ask export-oriented projects like Likhu-4 (120 MW) and Balefi (50 MW) to provide us power if needed," he said.
He said the country can install additional thermal plants and import more electricity from India as an interim arrangement. However, PAC members objected to the idea of installing thermal plans saying electricity production cost from such plans will be as high as Rs 22 per unit.
The members had also raised questions over the flawed Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) deals with Khimti and Bhotekoshi hydropower projects, wherein Nepal Electricity Authority has been incurring losses in billions every year. In reply, Mahat ruled out any possibility of revising the PPA deals and said that the ministry has learnt a good lesson through those deals and vowed that such mistakes would not be repeated.
NEA wins five counts in Mid-Marshyangdi case
NEA has won in five counts out of 36 in the case filed by the contractor (DDC JV) of Middle Marshyangdi at the International Criminal Court (ICC) claiming a fine of 40 million euros and 570 million rupees. NEA had already deposited 10.38 million euros at the ICC to fulfill the contractor´s claim.
However, after making a counter-claim of 20 million euros by NEA, it won five counts and the ICC tribunal made a decision to refund 6.7 million euros and 70.3 million rupees. Remaining 31 counts are yet to be decided. NEA had also forfeited 9.1 million euros that was deposited as performance bond by the DDC JV.
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