Power supply problem in the industry is temporary: NEA

By Laxman Kafle,Kathmandu, Apr. 24: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has made it clear that the problem of power supply in areas such as the Sunsari Morang Industrial Corridor of Koshi Province is short-term.

After complaints were received from industrialists that the power supply to industries was cut without prior information, managing director of NEA Kul Man Ghising, in a meeting with journalists on Sunday, asked the industrialists to understand the problem of power supply. He also assured that the problem in that sector would be solved in two weeks.

This year, there has been a 30 per cent decline in the electricity production of the hydroelectric projects based on the run-of-the-river during the dry season due to no snow or rainfall and the low capacity of the transmission line to supply more electricity from Dhalkebar substation of Dhanusha to the east, said Ghising.

He said that there is a problem in electricity supply due to inability to import electricity as per the demand from Bihar through the Kataiya-Kushaha 132 kV transmission line.

According to Ghising, although the installed capacity of the hydropower projects built in Taplejung, Panchthar and Ilam is about 200 megawatts, due to lack of snow and rain, only about 30 megawatts of electricity is being generated and is being supplied through Kabeli Corridor transmission line.

However, the power generation from those projects has been increasing for the past few days, so the industries are now receiving regular power supply, he said.

“We have not cut the electricity to the industries in the Sunsari Morang Industrial Corridor, we told them to operate only at lighting load. We have started supplying electricity to the industries with the increment of electricity generation in the hydropower of Kabeli Corridor. The current problem is a short-term problem, not a big one,” he said.

“It is estimated that pre-monsoon will be active in 10-15 days, after that the water level in the rivers will increase and the electricity production will peak. Then, we will start exporting the surplus electricity to India from mid-May. This year, we expect to export about 1,200 MW. We have sent a list of projects to the Indian agencies for the approval of export permit.”

Currently, the highest demand for electricity in the system has reached 1,750 megawatts. The average demand is 1,300 MW and the base demand is 1,275 MW.

As the heat rises in the Terai, the load of irrigation to water the fields has increased excessively. Electricity demand from Jhapa’s Damak to Anarmani area alone has reached 80 MW. According to the NEA, it has operated the Kulekhani reservoir hydropower at full capacity 24 hours a day.

Around 500 megawatts has been imported on an average on a daily basis as the domestic production is unable to meet the electricity demand.

Although the installed capacity of hydropower projects has increased this year compared to last year, there has been a 30 per cent decline in electricity generation in the country due to lack of rainfall. Apart from the Authority’s power plants, the power generation of private sector hydropower plants is only about 14 per cent of the installed capacity.

Ghising said that the construction of Dhalkebar-Inaruwa 400 kV transmission line and Hetauda-Bharatpur-Bardaghat-New Butwal 220 kV transmission line is being completed as soon as possible to prevent problems like the current one in the summer season of next year.

He added that after these lines are constructed, there will be no problem of transmission lines for electricity supply east and west from Dhalkebar.