‘Generation of 2,429 MW electricity feasible within fiscal year 2074/75 BS’

Kathmandu / December 17: The Agriculture and Water Resources Committee of the Legislature-Parliament today heard that 2,429 MW electricity could be produced within the fiscal year 2074/075 BS if the government ensured necessary coordination and provided the required quantity of fuel to the projects.

A statistics presented by the Energy Ministry at the committee’s meeting today stated that 205 MW electricity might be produced till the end of the current fiscal year if there was smooth availability of fuel.

Construction works of total of 21 hydropower projects, which are considered to be completed within the end of current fiscal year, have been obstructed in recent period due to earthquake and border blockade.

Those projects are–7-MW Mai Cascade hydropower project, 2-MW Chhyangikhola hydropower project, 2-MW Khanikhola hydropower project, 4.36-MW Tongen Thosne khola hydropower project, 2.5-MW Daramkhola ‘A’ hydropower project, 2-MW Jhyadikhola hydropower project, 14.9-MW Hewakhola hydropower project, 5-MW Phawakhola hydropower project and 3.75-MW Dwarikhola hydropower project.

Similarly, other projects considered to be completed by the end of current fiscal years are–9.98 MW Upper Mai hydropower project, 6.1-MW Upper Mai ‘C’ hydropower project, 13.6-MW Thapakhola hydropower project, 4-MW Sabhakhola hydropower project, 50-MW Upper Marsyangdi ‘A’, 25-MW Upper Madi hydropower project, 22.2-MW Upper Chaku ‘A’ hydropower project, 6-MW Daraudi hydropower project, 4-MW Sardikhola hydropower project, 10-MW Madkyu khola hydropower project, 8-MW Mai cascade hydropower project and 3.2 MW Gelunkhola hydropower project.

The projects under construction could be completed within one to seven months in case of unhindered supply of fuel and government cooperation.

Most of the projects have been started by private companies and that they have demanded the total 13,000 liters fuel on a daily basis. Of total projects under construction, eight could be completed within four months, a source said.

Likewise, 23 hydropower projects including 14 megawatts Kulekhani III and 30 megawatts Chameliya that are in the pipeline and have capacity to generate 848 megawatts electricity in total would be completed within 2073\74 fiscal years. These projects have demanded 31000 liters fuel for the construction.

Meanwhile, Energy secretary Suman Prasad Sharma said that government’s recent announcement to reduce load shedding in Nepal within one year could be implemented to some extent if under construction hydropower projects are provided with adequate amounts of fuel.

He said that Nepal Oil Corporation has started supplying fuel for hydropower projects like Tamakoshi, Chameliya and Kulekhani III and that other projects could also get fuel soon.

Director-General at the Department of Electricity Development, Dinesh Kumar Ghimire said that 1,371 megawatts power could be generated from a total 63 projects within Fiscal Year 2017/018 – 2018/019.

So far 257 hydroelectricity projects have taken permission from the Department which will generate 5,327 megawatts power. Among them are 175 small projects with the capacity of less than one megawatt. These projects will produce 124 megawatts electricity. Similarly, 5,203 megawatt electricity will be produced from 82 large projects with the capacity of generating more than one megawatt electricity.

Likewise, 107 projects have acquired permission for production. Out of them, nine are small projects with less than one megawatt capacity which will generate 7.3 megawatts power while 2,377 megawatts electricity would be generated from 98 projects which are more than one-megawatt capacity.

General Secretary of the Independent Power Producers’ Association of Nepal (IPPAN), Kumar Pandey says the existing energy crisis could be addressed within two years if a system of providing permission to thye power developers through the one-door policy is adopted and there is the required cooperation among the related government bodies.

Lawmakers Amrit Kumar Bohara, Nawaraj Sharma, Shivaji Yadav, Haricharan Shah, Bhawani Prasad Khapung, Kashinath Adhikari, Dilli Prasad Kafley, among others demanded bringing the Electricity Development Act at the earliest, providing fuel to the under-construction projects and resolving the problem seen in the extension of the transmission line.

Committee president Gagan Thapa drew the attention of the government and the bodies concerned to obey the directives the committee has issed from time to time. RSS