Government estimates 200 MW can be added to grid this year

Kathmandu December 31- Nepal has turned to its flaunted hydro resources as a severe fuel shortage and lengthening power cuts threaten to bring life to a halt, with government agencies estimating that 200 MW can be added to the national grid this year if gasoline is provided to the stalled projects.

According to the Department of Electricity Development (DoED), the construction of as many as 20 small hydropower projects with capacities ranging from 25 to 50 MW and the Upper Marsyangdi Hydropower Project can be completed within this fiscal year to generate an additional 205.59 MW.

A report prepared by the DoED has stated that the construction of a majority of the projects has been delayed due to unavailability of fuel. Their diesel requirements range from 34 litres daily to 2,500 litres daily depending on their size. The DoED has stated that the construction of these stalled projects can be completed within one to seven months. Most of them are being developed by independent power producers (IPPs).

The 50 MW Upper Marsyangdi, 25 MW Upper Madi, 22.2 MW Upper Chaku, 14.9 MW Hewa Khola, 13.6 MW Thapa Khola and 9.98 MW Upper Mai, among others, have the prospect of being completed within six months. Fuel has become one of the major issues pushing back the completion date of these projects after a blockade imposed by India choked off the country’s fuel supply for more than four months. Even though the government has stated that it is possible to connect 205.59 MW to the national grid within the current fiscal year, the Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal (Ippan) said it would be possible to connect only around 100 MW within the time stipulated by the government. Source: TKP

Projects on the verge of completion