Kathmandu: Increased monsoon rainfall has dramatically boosted river flows, allowing Nepal to export as much as 700 megawatts of electricity daily to India, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) said.
With internal power generation soaring to around 2,700 megawatts, Nepal is producing significantly more electricity than it currently consumes. Peak domestic demand hovers around 2,000 megawatts, dropping to approximately 1,800 megawatts during off-peak hours.
Taking advantage of this surplus, the NEA is not only meeting local industrial demand but also exporting electricity to neighboring countries. In addition to India, 40 megawatts of power are now being supplied to Bangladesh, a major step forward in Nepal’s regional energy trade ambitions.
“This is the highest volume of electricity we’ve been able to export in a day,” NEA officials confirmed, noting that between 650 to 700 megawatts are being sent to India on a daily basis.
During the dry season, the NEA often struggles to meet demand due to reduced hydropower output, occasionally resorting to unannounced load shedding in industrial zones, even with imports from India. In contrast, the monsoon season consistently brings a power surplus, which Nepal has sold to India for the past few years.
Nepal began exporting electricity to Bangladesh in Mangsir (November/December) last year, though the sale lasted only a day at that time. The current supply marks the country’s first sustained export to the Bangladeshi grid.
The NEA’s growing ability to export electricity underscores Nepal’s emerging role as a regional energy player, particularly during the monsoon months when its hydropower potential is fully realized.