KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 3
Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Shakti Bahadur Basnet, has directed the bodies concerned to prepare for the implementation of the 'Energy Development Roadmap and Action Plan-2080'.
During a meeting with chiefs and office-bearers of the ministry and its subordinate bodies at the Energy Ministry today, Minister Basnet asked the relevant bodies to prepare for the implementation of the 12-year action plan in a thematic and practical manner.
He emphasized the need to find a clear roadmap for implementation, as the action plan will soon be presented to the cabinet for national approval.
Furthermore, the Energy Minister stated that internal electricity consumption would be increased, and surplus power would be exported. A taskforce, led by Joint-Secretary of the Energy Ministry, Sandeep Kumar Dev, was formed on July 11 as per a ministry-level decision. This taskforce submitted its report to Minister Basnet on September 12.
According to the roadmap, it is necessary to prepare for a demand of 28,468 megawatts of electricity by 2035. Emphasis was placed on the need for coordination among inter-government bodies, legal and institutional reforms for the implementation of the action plan.
The action plan clearly outlines the quantity of power to be produced from different projects within the next 12 years and the associated costs.
The plan also sets a target to increase per capita power consumption to 1500 units by 2035 and to construct 6440 circuit kilometers of transmission lines while increasing the capacity of substations to 40,000 MVA.
Present at the meeting were Secretary at the Energy Ministry, Dinesh Kumar Ghimire, Irrigation Secretary Gopal Sigdel, taskforce coordinator Dev, and Deputy Executive Director Pradeep Kumar Thike.
