NEA appeals to the international community to increase assistance in the energy sector

Kathmandu : The Nepal Electricity Authority has requested Nepal’s international development partners to increase assistance in the energy sector.

Switzerland, United Kingdom, America, European Union, World Bank and Asian Development Bank, which have been providing aid to Nepal, have been requested by the authority to increase the aid as large investments are needed for the expansion and improvement of Nepal’s electricity, production, transmission and distribution.

Swiss Ambassador Daniel Miuli, World Bank Country Director for Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka Faris Hadad Zervos, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Director of Nepal Housing Mission Arnold Kushwa, representatives of development partners including European Union, American Aid Mission and other development partners visited Nawalparasi (Bardghat Susta West) on Thursday. ) visited the 220 KV new Butwal substation at Sunwal Municipality-13 Suryavasti on Friday.

A new Butwal substation has been constructed under the Kaligandaki Corridor 220 KV transmission line project with the investment of Nepal Government and Authority and concessional loan of ADB. The authority has requested the team that went on a monitoring visit to the above substation to increase assistance in the energy sector. Appreciating the achievements in Nepal’s energy sector, the team pledged to increase investment.

Kulman Ghising, executive director of the authority, while giving information about hydropower generation, transmission and distribution situation in Nepal and electricity with India and Bangladesh, said that more than 12-13 billion US dollars investment is needed in the next 5-6 years.

“In order to increase electricity generation and expand and strengthen the system, we need more than 6 billion dollars for electricity generation, 5 billion for transmission and 2 billion for distribution,” said Executive Director Ghising. ‘Our priority is to increase the consumption of electricity within the country, only the excess electricity consumed here will be sold to the neighboring countries, for this, a large investment is required for the expansion of the infrastructure, I request the development partners to increase the investment.’

Faris Hadad Jervos, World Bank’s country director for Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka, said that the matter of investing in the 1063 megawatt Upper Arun hydropower project under the leadership of the bank has reached its final stage. He emphasized that special attention should be paid to the implementation of environmental and social protection measures during the implementation of the project.

Arnaud Kushwa, director of ADB’s Nepal Residential Mission, mentioned that they have been partnering in Nepal’s energy sector for the past 50 years and said that they are working to manage the finances of the 635 MW Dudhkoshi reservoir hydroelectric project under the leadership of the bank by 2024.

The team visited the control room of the substation and took information about the condition of power transmission and distribution.

Kaligandaki Corridor 220 kV double circuit transmission line and three substations have been constructed to integrate the power of the hydropower projects to be built in Kaligandaki and its tributaries and integrate it into the national system.

Under Kaligandaki Corridor 220 KV double circuit transmission line project, about 130 km double circuit transmission line has been constructed starting from Annapurna rural municipality-3 Dana substation in Myagdi and passing through Parbat, Baglung, Syangja, Palpa, Rupandehi to the new Butwal substation in Nawalparasi (Bardghat Susta West).

The transmission line can carry about 2,000 megawatts of electricity. The Kaligandaki Corridor Transmission Line Project has been constructed with the investment of the Nepal Government and Authority and concessional loans received from the Electricity System Expansion Project under ADB’s Asia Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC).

New Butwal-Gorakhpur 400 KV second international transmission line is also being constructed for electricity trade with India. The excess electricity consumed within the country will be exported to India through the same transmission line.