NEA, APF MoUs on charging stations and electric stoves

KATHMANDU: Two Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) have been signed between the Armed Police Force (APF) and the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) regarding the construction and operation of electric vehicle charging stations, and the promotion use of electric stoves. Regarding charging stations, the APF’s Inspector General Raju Aryal and NEA’s Executive Director signed the MoU at APF’s Headquarters, Halchowk on Friday.  As per the MoU 17 charging stations will be opened and operated at petrol pumps currently operated by the Armed Police Welfare Service Centre and the selected offices of the AFP.  

Armed Police will provide locations for infrastructure construction while NEA will purchase all the equipment and build necessary infrastructures.

As per the MoU, NEA will also do the maintenance and regular servicing of the equipment installed at charging stations. After construction, the operation and security of the charging stations will be undertaken by the AFP. It has been arranged that charging stations cannot be allowed to be operated by third parties/organizations. The planned stations will be operated under the Welfare Fund for a long time. While operating the charging stations, the NEA will make arrangements to allow the general public to use them easily at the rate determined by the time. According to the provisions of the Electricity Distribution Regulations, 50 percent of the total profit from the electricity tariff rate will go to the Armed Police Welfare Centre as operating and management expenses of the charging stations. A similar MoU has already been signed between the authority and the Nepal Police to establish charging stations at 25 locations. To encourage the use of electric vehicles, the NEA is constructing state-of-the-art charging stations at 51 locations across the country. Every charging station being constructed by the NEA will be equipped with a 142 KW charger, a 50 kVA transformer for power supply, and an online charging system.

MoU on electric stoves

Similarly, an MoU for the use of electric stoves in APF’s kitchens was also signed on Friday between the APF and NEA.  The MoU was signed by Inspector General Aryal and Executive Director Ghising. As per the MoU induction stoves will be used to gradually replace the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in kitchens. The NEA will develop the necessary physical infrastructure for the use of induction stoves, such as adding electric poles and placing large-capacity transformers.