Govt. looking to produce over 28,700 MW electricity by 2035

KATHMANDU, JANUARY 9: Nepal is looking to significantly increase its electricity generation by 2035, with a target of 28,713 megawatts. This ambitious goal contrasts sharply with the current installed capacity of just 3,153 megawatts.  To achieve the set target, the government seems to be actively pursuing hydropower development.

As of the last fiscal year, 84 projects with a total capacity of 9,019 megawatts have received survey licenses, while 249 projects totalling 9,833 megawatts are currently under production licenses. Furthermore, applications for an additional 91 projects with a combined capacity of 10,600 megawatts are being reviewed by the Department of Electricity Development.

Based on these developments, the government's energy roadmap projects that 28,713 megawatts of electricity will be generated by 2035. This projection anticipates a domestic demand increasing to 13,468 megawatts by 2035 based on the estimated annual economic growth rate of 7.2%. However, if the economic growth rate is as low as 4.5% annually, domestic demand is projected to reach 9,840 megawatts by 2035.

The government also anticipates substantial electricity exports to neighboring countries – India, China, and Bangladesh – with an estimated demand of 15,000 megawatts by 2035. To meet this ambitious target, the government plans to diversify its hydropower portfolio, including reservoir-type projects (approximately 5,900 megawatts), semi-reservoir projects (approximately 10,500 megawatts), and run-of-the-river projects to fulfil the remaining generation capacity.