Nepal’s installed electricity production capacity reaches 2,400 MW on Saturday

Kathmandu: Nepal’s installed electricity production capacity has reached 2,400 MW as of Saturday; however, the production at present is just one-third of the actual production capacity.

According to the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), the country achieved an additional 316 MW of electricity in the first seven months of the current fiscal year. Of the amount, 306 MW was from 14 hydropower projects, while the remaining 10 MW was from three solar projects.

On Saturday alone, the production of the 86 MW Solu Khola Hydroelectric Project is connected to the national grid. Solu Khola is a run-of-river (RoR) type project. Most of the country’s hydropower production is of RoR type. As the water level in the rivers recedes in winter, the electricity production plunges heavily.

The state-owned public utility says that around 33 percent of the total demand for electricity is being fulfilled from imported power from India because of the low production during this winter. The amount stands at an average of 400 MW of electricity daily.

The government has aimed to take the country’s electricity production capacity to 3,000 W by the end of this fiscal year. For this purpose, the government has planned to connect an additional 800 MW of electricity in the national grid within the stipulated period.