Nepal is going to import 600 megawatts of electricity from India for winter. India has allowed Nepal to import electricity till next June. According to the Nepal Electricity Authority, India has given permission to import electricity about 15 days ago.

Recently, India allowed import of electricity only till June 2024. This time also the authority had written to India about 4 months ago to renew the permission. But the permit was not renewed. 

After the onset of winter, the flow of water in rivers and streams decreases and hydropower generation decreases, so electricity is being imported from India to meet domestic demand. Nepal, which sells electricity to India and Bangladesh in winter, has to rely on India in winter. The authority said that since there is no project with a reservoir, it will have to depend on India for a few more years in winter.

There is a separate agreement between India and Nepal to import insufficient electricity from India every year. Among them, the contract for electricity brought from India's competitive market has to be renewed every year. About 15 days ago, permission to import electricity from India was renewed, said Kulman Ghisingh, executive director of the authority.

'India has renewed about 15 days ago to be able to import electricity throughout the winter,' he said, 'India has not given permission to import electricity during the pick-up hours, only after 10 pm.'

India until March 15 Allowed to import electricity for 20 hours. 'Until next March 15th, we cannot import electricity from 5 pm to 9 pm, apart from that, we can import electricity from 6 am to 6 pm.' According to the authority, India has 400 KV - Permission has been granted to import 654 MW electricity from Muzaffarpur and 54 MW from 33 KV Tanakpur transmission line. 

Rajan Dhakal, director of the electricity trade department of the authority, said that even though the authority had asked for permission to import electricity from the 132 kV transmission line, it was not granted. "We asked for permission to import 654 megawatts of electricity from Dhal Kebar and Tanakpur, and we got it," he said, "besides that, we asked for permission to import about 600 megawatts of electricity from 132 kV transmission line. It has not come.'

This year, even though the authority has said that the electricity which will be insufficient from the middle or the end of December should be imported, it has already started from the first week. Dhakal said that electricity import up to a maximum of 100 megawatts has already started.

'India does not allow us to import electricity from 5 pm to 9 pm,' he said, 'We are importing a little at other times.' Dhakal has also sought permission from India to import 600 megawatts of electricity from Asatiya (New Nautanwa, India) and Gandak (Nepal)-Ramnagar (India) transmission line. told

"According to the capacity of four transmission lines of 132 KV, 600 megawatts have not been granted," he said Nepal has been buying electricity by competing in the time market. According to this, 'bidding' is done with the price and quantity on the day before the purchase. Nepal got permission to participate in this market in 078 Baisakh. This five-year permit is subject to renewal every year.

Every year India renews the permit for one year, but last time India renewed it for three months only three days before its expiry (080 Chait 15). This time, the authority has informed that the permit has been renewed until next June. 

Nepal can import electricity from the Tanakpur transmission line and the Nepal-India Power Exchange Committee (PEC) under the Mahakali Treaty, apart from India's competitive market. Nepal receives 70 million units of free electricity annually from the Tanakpur transmission line under the Mahakali Treaty. The PEC meeting held on March 11 for the year 2024 has determined the rate per unit of electricity to be imported-exported according to the structure of the transmission line. 

The authority said that the price of electricity exchange through 132 kV transmission line has been set at 7.98 bharu (12 rupees 77 paisa) per unit. The meeting also fixed the price of electricity exchange through 33 KV transmission line at 8.65 bharu (13 rupees 84 paisa) per unit.

According to the Authority, a new rate has been set so that Nepal can take electricity whenever it wants and it will be applied even when exporting to India. But this price will be applicable only till the end of December. For the year 2025, the PEC meeting will have to set the per unit rate of electricity again.

In addition to India's competitive market, the Tanakpur transmission line under the Mahakali treaty and trade under the Nepal-India Power Exchange Committee (PEC), a bilateral agreement was also reached on October 17 for the import of 230 megawatts of electricity during the dry season.

The agreement was made between Nepal Electricity Authority and India's NTPC Electricity Trading Corporation (NVVN) to import electricity from February to May every year.

According to this, 200 megawatts from Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur transmission line at the rate of 7.5 per unit and 30 megawatts from Tanakpur transmission line will be available round the clock RTC (round the clock system).