In the first two months of the current fiscal year 2081/82 (Saun/Bhadra), Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA)has exported electricity worth 7.54 billion rupees to India.

The Nepal Electricity Authority has exported 1.292 million units of electricity to India from the excess of consumption in the country in Saun and Bhadau (July and August). NEA has exported electricity worth 3.99 billion rupees in July/August. Electricity worth 3.55 billion rupees has been exported in August/September.

In July/August (Saun), 49286100 units were exported to India. 53629400 units of electricity have been exported in August /September(bhadra). The average rate of electricity export for two months is Rs 7. 33 paise per unit. The average rate per unit in July was 8 rupees 11 paisa and in August it was 6 rupees 62 paisa.

In the third week of August ( Bhadra 16-23rd), the highest amount of electricity worth 99.55 million rupees was exported. In the second week of August (Bhadra 9th-15th), electricity worth 69.8 million rupees has been exported.

Electricity trade with India is done in Indian rupees (Bharu). Therefore, electricity worth 4.71 billion 63 million baht has been sold in two months of the current year.

Kulman Ghising, the managing director of the NEA, said that due to the damage to the hydropower plants and transmission lines that are operating due to the floods, the export of electricity is currently being affected.

"In the current year, we had set an electricity export target of around 30 billion rupees, but due to the floods and landslides damaging hydropower stations and transmission lines, the electricity generation will be stopped and the target will be affected," said MD Ghising.

NEA is selling the surplus electricity consumed within the country in the day-ahead and real-time market of Indian Energy Exchange (IX) at a competitive rate and in accordance with the bilateral medium-term electricity sale agreement in the states of Haryana and Bihar.

The Authority has so far received approval to sell 941 MW of electricity produced by 28 projects in the Indian market in accordance with the competitive market and medium-term electricity sales agreement. Before the flood, around 900 megawatts of electricity was being exported daily.

Currently, only around 150 MW are being exported daily. About 750 megawatts of electricity generation including the largest 456 megawatt upper Tamakoshi in operation due to floods and landslides has been shut down.

Last year, electricity worth 16.93 billion rupees was imported from India. During this period, electricity worth 17.6 billion rupees was exported. In the last year, Nepal has become a net exporter of electricity from being a net importer of electricity by exporting more than 130 million rupees more than imports.