NEA to connect all households with electricity by 2022

Published On: August 25, 2019 07:05 AM NPT By: Himal Lamsal

Photo: Republica/Files

KATHMANDU, Aug 25: The government has unveiled its ambitious plan of providing electricity to every household of the country within three years.

The state-owned power authority, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), is implementing its plan to connect all households across the nation in the national grid in line with the government's guidelines.

"We are working according to the plan to supply electricity to all households of the country by 2022," said NEA's Managing Director Kulman Ghising.

As of Fiscal Year 2018/19, the NEA is providing electricity to 3.91 million households across the country, up by 10 percent from the previous Fiscal Year 2017/18.

According to the NEA, 78 percent households are connected to the national electricity grid if the clients of community organizations and Butwal Power Company Ltd are included. This means that 22 percent households are still without access to electricity. The NEA said that it supplied electricity from the national grid to Manang, Solukhumbu, Bajhang and Darchula districts in the last fiscal year.

Ghising said that the NEA is working toward connecting Rukum Purba, Kalikot, Bajura, and Jumla districts in the national grid in the current fiscal year.

"We have a target to supply electricity to Mugu and Dolpa in two years. After electrification of these two districts, Humla district will be our priority," he said.

According to the NEA, a total of 7.55 billion units of electricity were available in the national grid in the last fiscal year.

The NEA officials say that the power utility has been giving priority to the use of modern technology to improve its operational efficiency, reduce power leakage, and provide quality services to its clients.

"We have a plan to install smart meters and smart grid technology for the automation. The centralized online bill payment system will be expanded," said Ghising.

There are 83 hydropower projects from the private sector with an installed capacity of 560 MW. Additional 120 private sector projects are under construction after achieving financial closures, with a combined installed capacity of 2,613 MW.

The NEA had signed power purchase agreements with 85 projects for the supply of 1,480 MW in the last Fiscal Year 2017/18. The NEA has so far signed PPA with 340 independent power producers for the supply of 6,044 MW electricity.