Demand of 1,000 plus megawatt electricity projected

Kathmandu / April 14: The government has projected the demand of around 1,423 mega watt (MW) of electricity for the next winter season.

The amount is projected as per estimation of 12 per cent of yearly increment in the demand of electricity. According to Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), the current maximum demand for the electricity is 1,325 MW, of which only 560 MW is being supplied.

Nepal is importing a total of 315 MW of power while the domestic power production stands at 245 MW owing to the decreasing water level in the rivers and depreciation on the power production of the hydro electricity project.

An action plan presented by the Ministry of Energy (MoE) in the Agriculture and Water Resources Committee under the Legislature-Parliament estimates that the power outage for the next winter could go up to five hours a day as the supply could not be met as per the demand.

The country is currently reeling under power outage up to 11 hours a day, according to NEA.

The MoE projects that additional 295 MW of electricity will be generated through the river-based hydel projects.

Likewise, a total of 1,068 MG of electricity will be availed of which 92 MW is aimed to be produced from Kulekhani I and II, 580 MW to be transmitted from India and 1,000 MG from renewable energy. NEA’s Central Transmission Line will fall short of 356 MG.

However, the Ministry projects that the total power production will stand at 1,567 MG if even only 92 MG of electricity is imported from India. RSS