India Approves Up to 654 MW Power Supply to Nepal for 18 Hours Daily

India has decided to provide Nepal with up to 654 MW of electricity for 18 hours every day until December 31, with the arrangement coming into effect from Friday. The decision was taken by India’s Ministry of Power to support Nepal’s electricity system when required. According to India’s Press Information Bureau (PIB), Nepal will be able to receive up to 600 MW through the 400 kV Muzaffarpur–Dhalkebar transmission line from midnight to 6 PM, along with up to 54 MW through the 132 kV Tanakpur–Mahendranagar line. However, electricity supply will not be available during the peak-hour period from 6 PM to midnight. Nepal is currently exporting an average of around 800 MW of electricity to India each day. However, floods have shut down 12 hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 431 MW, raising the possibility that Nepal may need to import electricity during the upcoming winter. Nepal Electricity Authority spokesperson Rajan Dhakal said the approved import capacity may not be used significantly right away, as Nepal is currently in an electricity-exporting position. However, the approval will provide valuable backup support if unexpected problems occur in power projects or transmission lines. Meanwhile, Nepal’s 40 MW electricity export to Bangladesh has also been halted after flood-related disruptions affected the source projects. The NEA has requested approval to export electricity from the Kabeli B-1 and Thulo Khola projects, but permission from India is still pending.