Kathmandu, June 16
Minister for Energy, Hydropower and Irrigation, Dipak Khadka, has said Nepal would earn Rs 1.25 billion in five months with the energy export to Bangladesh. At a programme organized by his ministry, Minister Khadka informed that Nepal is exporting 40MW power to Bangladesh every day, thereby earning Rs 250 million in a month.
Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) began selling electricity to Bangladesh since Saturday midnight for this season. The power is supplied via an Indian transmission line. Nepal had officially launched the energy export to Bangladesh since November 15 last year.
It was however brief supply- for 11 and half hours. A trilateral power agreement was signed between Nepal, India and Bangladesh on October 3, 2024.
The surplus power in monsoon season is exported to India and Bangladesh, which would contribute to Nepal’s journey to prosperity, Minister Khadka said, adding that Nepal has been exporting more energy than the import since last year.
According to him, energy sector is reliable for country’s sustainable economic growth, so government is paying much attention to it. However, making internal consumption more reliable and safe is equally important for us, he added.
The Minister further shared that in addition to small scale projects, the mega project like Budhigandaki and Upper Arun Hydropower are also being forwarded by the government, which he argued would strengthen the foundation for prosperity. The government is planning to provide shares ranging from Rs 200 to Rs 500 thousand to the poor households in the hydropower project area.
The energy export begun last night will continue till coming November 15 for this season. In this slot, Nepal will export over 146.8 million units of electricity. The electricity reaches Bherbara Substation of Bangladesh via Mujafarpur of India from the 400-KV Dhalkebar Substation of Nepal.
During the programme, Ministry Secretary Suresh Acharya said discussion was going on to increase the amount of energy to Bangladesh. Executive Director at NEA, Hitendra Dev Shayka, said Nepal had entered the age of energy trade, earning billions of rupees.
