KATHMANDU, June 13: Demand for electricity on Friday rose to 1,165 MW from around 900 MW with an increase in business activities after the government eased the lockdown.

Prabal Adhikari, spokesperson for Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), said the power demand has been increasing in the past few days with an increase in economic activities. Being hard hit by the drop in income due to the government lockdown, many entrepreneurs had started to reopen their businesses, defying the lockdown imposed by the authorities.

Following mounting pressure from all quarters, a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday decided to ease the nationwide lockdown that began on March 24. The government imposed strict measures during the over two months of the long lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. Identifying 21 distinct sectors including manufacturing, development projects and take away food services of restaurants, among others, the government has allowed them to open their outlets and resume their businesses.  

According to Nepal Electricity Authority, average daily demand used to stand at 1,200 MW before the lockdown was enforced. After the lockdown came into effect, the daily demand fell as low as 650-700 MW during daytime and 450-500 MW in nighttime. The demand in the Kathmandu Valley – the largest consumer of electricity in the country – plummeted almost half to 288 MW per day compared to the consumption in normal time.

Adhikari said the NEA had to sustain a monthly revenue loss of around Rs 2 billion during the lockdown period.

With the rise in energy demand, the NEA imported 160 MW of electricity from India on Friday. Currently, the NEA produces 525 MW electricity from its power plants while hydropower projects owned by the private sector contribute 480 MW of electricity to the national grid. 

 
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