NEA receives approval for electricity export

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Oct. 31:  Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has received approval for the renewal of permit to export 283 MW of electricity. 

The Central Electricity Authority under India’s Ministry of Power on Wednesday renewed the approval to export 283 MW of electricity generated from eight different hydropower projects in Nepal.

The NEA is exporting surplus electricity at competitive rates in the Day-Ahead and Real-Time markets of the Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) and to the states of Haryana and Bihar under bilateral medium-term power sales agreements.

Additionally, electricity is being exported to Bangladesh using India’s transmission infrastructure.

According to the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, electricity export of four hydropower projects that were approved to sell electricity at competitive rates in the Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) market have been renewed. The approval received for the sale of 103 MW electricity generated by these projects on the IEX had expired on different dates. 

The export of all projects has been renewed for about one year, effective from last Tuesday, said the Ministry. Similarly, as per the bilateral agreement, about 180 MW of electricity generated from four projects was being sold to Haryana state. 

The permission given to sell electricity from Nepal to Haryana state will expire on Thursday (today). The NEA sells electricity to Haryana every year from June to October. 

The NEA had sought permission to sell electricity from the projects that have received permission to sell electricity to Haryana in IEX as well. The Central Electricity Authority of India has approved the proposal. Now, electricity generated from the four projects will be sold continuously in IEX from Friday.

During his visit to New Delhi, India to participate in the 8th meeting of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Kul Man Ghising had urged the Indian Minister for Power, Manohar Lal Khattar to simplify the process of approving electricity exports. 

He also called for immediate renewal of the export proposal, stating that this is the best time for electricity generation in Nepal.