Nepal Electricity Authority has decided to import electricity from India for 12 hours only from Sunday to meet domestic demand. Although we are currently importing electricity for 20 hours a day, from Sunday we can only import electricity for 12 hours.

As the flow of water in rivers and streams decreases in winter, electricity production is reduced, so imports are being made from India to meet domestic demand. 

Last December, while allowing import of electricity during winter, India allowed import only for 20 hours a day till March 15 (Chait 2) and during solar hours (6 am to 6 pm) from March 16 to June 30. After March 16 (Chait 3), India has been asked to import electricity for 20 hours a day, said Kulman Ghisingh, executive director of the authority. 

"We have asked India to extend the system that will be implemented from March 16 for some time, we are in discussions with India," Ghising said, "It is said that India's Ministry of Electricity will discuss and provide information." Ghising said that since there is no reservoir project, there will be a need to import electricity from India in the winter for a few more years.

The Authority has said that a new rate has been set so that Nepal can take electricity whenever it wants and that rate will be applicable when importing from India and exporting to India as well. The PEC meeting held on February 13 for the year 2025/2026 has decided the per unit rate of electricity. 

The meeting has fixed the price of import-export of electricity through 132 kV transmission line at 8.1 Bharu (12 rupees 96 paisa), per unit rate of purchase and sale of electricity through 33 kV transmission line at 8.78 Bharu (14 rupees 04 paisa) and 9.41 Bharu (15.05 rupees) per unit of 11 kV transmission line. The price will be applicable from next April. But the authority's management committee meeting has not approved and the electricity regulation commission has not approved it. If the

is not approved within March, the authority says it will not be implemented from April. Energy Minister Deepak Khadka has repeatedly asked Ghising for clarification on this issue. In 2077, the Council of Ministers meeting has given all the authority to the authority, including the import-export of electricity in neighboring countries. Ghising has been saying that the electricity import-export price has been agreed upon using the authority given by the Council of Ministers. 

According to the authority, the internal demand of the country is 1900 MW. According to the authority, domestic demand is being met by importing 1000 megawatts of electricity and an average of 500 megawatts of electricity. Ghising says that if electricity has to be imported only during the solar hour, there may be a situation where electricity will be cut in the evening in industrial areas. 

There is a separate agreement between India and Nepal to import insufficient electricity in winter every year. Contracts for electricity imported from India's competitive market have to be renewed every year. According to the same arrangement, it was renewed for the year 2025 last November.

Even at that time, India renewed the condition of not providing electricity during peak hours. India had given permission to import 654 MW of electricity from 400 KV Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur and 54 MW from Tanakpur-Mahendranagar transmission line.

Nepal has been buying electricity by competing in the day-ahead and real-time markets of India's Indian Energy Exchange Limited (IX). 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 2078 Baisakh.

This five-year permit must be renewed 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 (2080 Chait 15). This time, the permit was renewed until next June.

Apart from India's competitive market, Nepal can import electricity from the Tanakpur transmission line and the Nepal-India Power Exchange Committee (PEC) under the Mahakali Treaty. Nepal receives 70 million units of free electricity annually from the Tanakpur transmission line under the Mahakali Treaty. For the year 2024, the PEC meeting held on March 11, according to the structure of the transmission line, has fixed the price of electricity exchange through the 132 kV transmission line, which is import-export, at 7.98 bharu (12 rupees 77 paisa) per unit. 

The meeting also fixed the price of electricity exchange through the 33 KV transmission line at 8.65 baht (13 rupees 84 paisa) per unit. According to the same arrangement, the authority is currently importing 150 megawatts of electricity during peak hours.

India's competitive market, in addition to trade under Tanakpur transmission line and PEC under the Mahakali agreement, a bilateral agreement was signed on October 17 to import 230 megawatts of electricity during the dry season. An agreement was made to bring 200 megawatts of electricity from Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur transmission line at the rate of 7.5 per unit and 30 megawatts of electricity from Tanakpur transmission line round the clock (RTC-round the clock system). 

According to this arrangement, an agreement was signed between Nepal's authority and India's NTPC Electricity Trading Corporation (NVVN) to import electricity from February to May every year. But the Central Electricity Authority of India has not approved the import of electricity from the agreement. Ghising said that electricity could not be imported as India did not approve.