KATHMANDU, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) — Nepal will import additional 80 MW of electricity from India in the next four and a half months starting on Wednesday.
An agreement was inked here Monday between Nepal’s state-owned power utility body – Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) and NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam, one of India’s agencies for power trading with Nepal.
The power supply deal has an option of extension after its expiry.
“It is a very good gesture from India before our Prime Minister’s India visit scheduled for February 19,” Nepalese Energy Secretary Suman Sharma said.
According to the NEA, currently 500 MW of electricity is available, but the demand is 1,325 MW in peak hours, which means there is a massive gap between demand and supply.
Nepal has been importing 200 MW of electricity from India, while its domestic production is just 300 MW. Currently Nepal is facing a 13-hour power cut per day.