NEA categorizes power outages in industries as a temporary issue, ‘Solved in 10-15 days’

KATHMANDU: Despite recent industrialist complaints about power outages lasting up to 12 hours per day, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) claims the issue will only persist for a brief period of time.

Kulman Ghising, managing director of NEA, stated during a press conference on Sunday that manufacturers in a number of Eastern Nepali industrial corridors have suffered as a result of the electricity supply issue.

He claims that the inability to import enough electricity is a result of the inadequate carrying capacity of the cross-border transmission lines and the ongoing dry season. According to Ghising, this has caused a shortage in the supply of electricity to the manufacturing units.

The NEA has been importing 500 MW of electricity from India on a daily average since domestic production fell. According to Ghising, transmission lines in Dalkebar and Tanakpur are used to import about 400 MW of electricity, and 100 MW more is supplied by infrastructure in Raxaul, Ram Nagar, and Kataiya.

The industrialists of Biratnagar have started protesting the state-owned power utility as a result of a sharp decline in the power supply.

The private sector’s umbrella group, the Morang Merchants Association, claims that NEA’s reckless action has caused them to suffer significant financial losses.

The NEA, on the other hand, claimed that it was forced to cut off power due to a significant decrease in domestic electricity production.

According to Ghising, the production of electricity has only reached 31% of the installed capacity.

We have been importing about 500 MW from India while the local power plants have only provided a total of 700 MW of electricity. ” .

According to NEA records, there is currently a 1,700 MW peak demand for electricity, with a 1,300 MW average demand.

According to Ghising, this year’s increase in demand from industrial units is largely attributable to the NEA’s approval of an additional 800 MW.

The NEA has set a goal to export 1,000 MW or more of electricity to India during the upcoming rainy season.

With the beginning of the pre-monsoon season, which will begin in the third week of May, Ghising predicted that the authority will have excess electricity.