Bagmati govt prepares charging station procedures; construction to take place in collaboration with private sector

KATHMANDU, Feb 27: The Bagmati provincial government has prepared a procedure for the construction of charging stations required for the operation of electric vehicles (EVs).

Balram Niraula, secretary of the provincial Ministry of Labor, Employment and Transport, said that there is a plan to build charging stations in collaboration with the private sector as per the procedures made by the provincial government.

Niraula said that the procedure has been prepared and sent to the Ministry of Finance of the province for approval.

According to the procedure, the private sector will build the structure with a refreshment center as well as arrange the transformers and machines required for the charging station. The facility should include everything from a waiting room to a small refreshment house, a restaurant, a bathroom etc.

For the construction of the station, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) will provide a transformer of 200 kVA capacity. Niraula said that the provincial government will take initiatives to provide transformers with the authority.

In this regard, the private sector will have to acquire land by itself. "The private sector can do it on its own, however, they can also build the structure by leasing land with the local government," he said adding, "Our aim is to promote EVs in the cities in the district."

Similarly, there should be arrangements in the said structure so that 'local products' can also be sold from a commercial point of view. Niraula mentioned that this arrangement has been made so that the products of the rural areas are marketed and also linked with employment.

According to him, the procedure has been prepared so that the provincial government and the private sector will operate the station together for 10 years and after 10 years, the private sector will automatically operate the station. In the meantime, Niraula said that the province will continuously monitor and protect it.

There is a plan to construct 15 charging stations in the main cities and highway junctions of Bagmati Province. Niraula said that the provincial government has a budget of Rs 40 million for this. He mentioned that there is a plan to call for proposals after getting approval from the finance ministry.

After the proposal, 15 charging stations with refreshment centers will be constructed after a feasibility study. Niraula said that the charging station fee will be decided based on the market price and the tariff set by the NEA.