Kathmandu, March 30

India is gearing up to export additional power to Nepal in the coming days.

“India’s export of power to Nepal is expected to increase by around 145 megawatts (MW) shortly over 132 kV Katiya (Bihar)-Kusaha (Nepal) and 132 kV Raxaul (Bihar)-Parwanipur (Nepal),” reads a media release issued by the Embassy of India today.

India had also been exporting around 190 MW power to Nepal over 12 cross-border interconnections at 11kV, 33kV and 132 kV level. The export of power to Nepal further increased by around 145 MW with commissioning of Muzaffarpur (India)-Dhalkhebar (Nepal) 400kV line (being operated at 132 kV) in 2016.

As per Central Electricity Authority, the designated authority of government of India for cross-border trade of electricity, India has turned from a net importer of electricity to a net exporter of electricity for the first time.

During the year 2016-17 (April 2016 to February 2017), India exported around 5,798 million units to Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar, which is 213 million units more than the import of around 5,585 million units from Bhutan.

“Export to Nepal and Bangladesh rose 2.5 and 2.8 times, respectively in the last three years.”

Ever since cross-border trade of electricity started in mid-80s, India has been importing power from Bhutan and marginally exporting to Nepal in radial mode at 33 kV and 132 kV from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. On an average, Bhutan has been supplying 5,000 to 5,500 million units to India.

Export of power to Bangladesh from India got further boost with commissioning of first cross-border link between Baharampur in India and Bheramara in Bangladesh at 400kV in September 2013. It was further augmented by commissioning of second cross-border interconnection between Surjyamaninagar (Tripura) in India and South Comilla in Bangladesh. At present around 600 MW power is being exported to Bangladesh.

A few more cross-border links with neighbouring countries are in the pipeline, which would further increase export of power, the release says.