Nepal exports power worth around Rs 17 billion

KATHMANDU, JULY 28: Nepal exported electricity worth Rs 16.93 billion to India in the last fiscal year. The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) earned Rs 16.93 billion by exporting 1.94 billion units of electricity to India in 2023/24.

NEA has been selling the surplus power at the Indian Energy Exchange's day-ahead and real-time market at competitive rates, as well as to the Indian company NTPC Vidyut Vypar Nigam Limited under a mid-term power agreement. The NVVN has been selling the power to the state of Haryana in India. The average rate of exported power is Rs 8.72 per unit.

Power worth Rs 16.81 billion was imported to Nepal last fiscal year, according to NEA. Around 183 million units of electricity were imported from India to meet the high demand for electricity during the winter season when power production decreases due to a lack of water flow in rivers and rivulets across the country. The average rate of power imported during the winter season is Rs 9.17 per unit. Nepal exported Rs 122.3 million more power to India than it imported last fiscal year.

Nepal had imported power worth Rs 19.44 billion in the previous fiscal year 2022/23, while electricity worth Rs 10.45 billion was exported.

Executive Director of NEA, Kulman Ghising, said that even though power will need to be imported to fulfil domestic demand for a few months during the winter season for the next few years, the volume of exports will also increase.