Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has received approval from India to continue exporting 283 megawatts of electricity. The Central Electricity Authority under India’s Ministry of Power renewed the export permission on Wednesday for electricity produced by eight hydropower projects in Nepal.
Nepal sells extra electricity to India through the Indian Energy Exchange in the day-ahead and real-time markets at competitive prices. It also supplies power directly to the Indian states of Haryana and Bihar through separate agreements.
Out of the total approved capacity, four hydropower projects producing 103 MW will now sell their power through the Indian Energy Exchange. Their previous approval had expired, but the new one has been renewed for about a year starting Tuesday.
Another 180 megawatts from four projects are being sold to Haryana under a direct agreement. However, that permission ends today. Each year, Nepal sells electricity to Haryana from June to October when production is higher.
The Nepal Electricity Authority had also requested permission to sell electricity from the Haryana projects through the Indian Energy Exchange once the agreement ends. India has now approved this plan. Starting Friday, Nepal will be able to sell electricity from these projects on the exchange as well.
Meanwhile, Nepal’s Energy Minister Kulman Ghising met India’s Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in New Delhi during the 8th International Solar Alliance meeting. Ghising asked India to make the export approval process easier and faster. He said that Nepal is currently producing enough electricity and requested quick approval for pending proposals.
Nepal and India signed a joint venture (JV) and shareholder agreement to construct two new cross-border transmission lines — the Inaruwa–Purnia and Lamki–Dodhara–Bareilly 400 kV lines, according to the energy ministry.
