KATHMANDU: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has, in the first five months of the current fiscal year, signed the power purchase agreement (PPA) with 52 hydropower projects. According to NEA Spokesperson Prabal Adhikari, the total capacity of such projects is 1,051 megawatts.

All of the projects are private sector investments, and their promoters have been urged to complete the fiscal management as soon as possible and move to the construction phase. On the very first day of the current fiscal year, the NEA and the Arati Hydro Power Company had signed the PPA. The company has acquired generation license for the 14.10-mw Upper Irkhuwa Hydropower Project based in Bhojpur district.

Similarly, the NEA has signed the PPA for 12-mw Dudhukunda Khola project based in Sankhuwasabha; and the 1.5-mw upper Gadigadh project.

It plans to sign the PPA with additional 12 projects with 70 mw capacity in near future. It may be noted that the December 11 meeting of the NEA Board of Directors held under the chairmanship of Minister for Water Resources and Irrigation Barshaman Pun, decided to make the PPA under the 'Take or Pay' concept.

The government targets to generate 15,000 mw power by the next 10 years, making the country self-sufficient on power production.