Kathmandu, July 20: Nepal’s electricity generation capacity has reached 3,878 megawatts (MW), marking a significant achievement in the country’s energy sector. Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation Minister Deepak Khadka shared the update during a press conference held to mark his first year in office.
He noted that 631 MW was added to the national grid in the past year alone, up from the previous average of around 3,200 MW. The increase has enabled Nepal to export surplus power, with over 800 MW currently sold daily to India and Bangladesh. Nepal has received approval to export 941 MW to India and is also importing 1,000 MW under bilateral arrangements. Additionally, Nepal has begun dollar-denominated electricity exports to Bangladesh, already supplying 40 MW and earning approximately Rs 1.25 billion in five months.
To guide long-term development, the Energy Ministry has introduced the Energy Development Roadmap 2081, aiming to produce 28,500 MW by 2035 with an investment of $46.5 billion. The plan envisions exporting 15,000 MW to India and Bangladesh while reserving 13,500 MW for domestic use.
The minister also highlighted infrastructure gains: installation of 397 kW from small hydropower projects, 603 kW from solar systems, 3,584 biogas plants, and 4,142 household solar units. Irrigation coverage expanded by 17,308 hectares, pushing the total irrigated area to 1.586 million hectares.
Nepal has secured nearly $1 billion in foreign loans and grants for energy and irrigation projects. Minister Khadka also said negotiations on dedicated and trunk line agreements are close to resolution. Key legislative efforts include the submission of the Electricity, Water Resources, and Renewable Energy bills to Parliament, while the Water and Weather Policy has already been approved by the Cabinet. Senior ministry officials attended the event, reflecting the government’s commitment to advancing the energy sector.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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