Kathmandu, November 3
After months of negotiations and waiting, India has finally allowed Nepal to export its electricity to the Indian energy exchange market.
Nepal’s government-run electricity distribution monopoly, Nepal Electricity Authority, says it has been informed of the concerned Indian authority’s decision on Monday.
Now, the NEA will immediately begin exporting 39 megawatts of electricity to the energy exchange market of India’s NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited.
Nepal had joined the market in April this year, but then it was only allowed to buy energy whereas its request for sale was still pending.
Energy Minister Pampha Bhusal says Nepal is the first country in South Asia to both buy and sell electricity in India’s competitive energy market. “This is a milestone in the bilateral energy trade,” she says.
NEA Managing Director Kul Man Ghising says the authority would begin the export in a small amount for now but would gradually increase as new projects would be complete.
