Kathmandu, June 13: The government has set a target of increasing the country’s total installed electricity generation capacity to 5,335 megawatts (MW) by the end of the next fiscal year.
According to the annual development program made public by the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, an additional 1,040 MW of hydropower generation capacity is expected to be added within one year.
The ministry stated that special efforts will be made to complete hydropower projects currently under construction or in their final stages on schedule. It also aims to facilitate projects being developed by the private sector to ensure their timely completion.
Expanding electricity transmission infrastructure has also been given high priority. Under the annual program, the length of 66 kV transmission lines will be increased from 7,048 circuit kilometers to 7,808 circuit kilometers.
Similarly, the length of 33 kV transmission lines is targeted to increase from 8,325 circuit kilometers to 8,429 circuit kilometers.
For the upcoming fiscal year, the government aims to raise per capita electricity consumption to 511 kilowatt-hours (kWh) and limit electricity leakage and losses to 12.03 percent.
The program also includes adding 43 MW of electricity generation capacity from micro and small hydropower projects and 99 MW from solar energy.
The government has set a target of expanding irrigation facilities to an additional 15,776 hectares of land through the implementation of its policies, programs, and budget for the next fiscal year. Furthermore, it plans to construct an additional 70 kilometers of embankments along major and medium-sized rivers and reclaim 210 hectares of land.
According to the ministry, hydropower development is expected not only to meet national energy needs but also to accelerate regional economic growth. It is anticipated to contribute to economic development, industrialization, flood control, environmental conservation, and job creation.
The government also aims to complete 12 transmission line projects in the coming fiscal year. Once completed, these projects are expected to facilitate smoother domestic electricity transmission and enable generated power to be integrated into the national grid.
The ministry further stated that plans to construct a transmission line passing through the central area of the Kathmandu Valley will also be implemented.
People’s News Monitoring Service/RSS
Login to add a comment