Nepal starts exporting 364 MW of electricity to India

KATHMANDU, June 10: Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has started exporting 364 MW of electricity to India from today. NEA started selling the surplus electricity in the Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) market at a competitive rate from June 2.

The Central Electricity Authority under the Ministry of Electricity of India had given approval to the NEA to sell 364 MW of electricity in the IEX market as a source of electricity generated from six hydropower projects.

During the visit of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to India in April, a joint vision paper on energy cooperation was issued between Nepal and India. Following the agreement, the NEA had received approval to export electricity generated from four additional hydropower plants to India.

The sale of electricity generated from Green Ventures Ltd’s Likhu IV hydroelectric project has started in the Indian market from today.

Of the total electricity being sold in the IEX market, 37.7 MW from Trishuli and Devighat, 140 MW from Kaligandaki A, 68 MW from Madhyamarsyangdi, 67 MW from Marsyangdi and 51 MW generated from Likhu-4 are being exported to Indian market daily.

The surplus energy is being exported to the Indian market on a daily basis through the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur 400 kV interstate transmission line after the power plants started running at full capacity due to increased flow of water in the country’s rivers.

According to NEA Executive Director Kulman Ghising, the sale of electricity in the Indian market for all the projects approved for export is a cornerstone for electricity trade between the two countries.

“With the commencement of export of electricity as per the approved capacity, the joint vision paper on cooperation in the energy sector jointly issued by the Prime Ministers of the two countries has entered a new phase of implementation. It is a cornerstone of electricity trade between the two countries. The trade will also help to decrease the trade deficit between the two countries,” Ghising said. "We are exporting all the surplus electricity. We are in continuous discussions with the Indian side for approval for further export of electricity in the coming days.” he added. On the occasion, Ghising thanked all the concerned persons and bodies for their initiative and support in bringing the electricity trade between the two countries to this stage.

In IEX market, 24 hours are divided into 96 blocks of 15 respectively and electricity is traded at competitive rates fixed by the market. Therefore, the price of each block is different.

The NEA has fixed the maximum and minimum prices of electricity for Friday at Rs 19.2 (INRs 12) and Rs 3.9984 (INRs 2.499) per unit, respectively. The average price is Rs 11.42 per unit (INRs 7.14).