NEA projects 14-hr power cut per day

KATHMANDU, Nov 22: Even as Nepalis are being forced to remain without electricity for 29 hours a week from November 17, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has said load-shedding woes are likely to take a turn for the worse this year.

Director of system operation department at NEA Sher Singh Bhat said, “Load shedding hours may extend up to 14 hours a day this year.” NEA attributes the likely increase in load-shedding hours to rising demand for power.

“Annual energy demand has increased by 13.1 percent. However, no significant quantity to meet this demand has been generated,” said Chiranjeevi Sharma, chief of Load Dispatch Unit. “Load shedding problem is likely worsen this year.”

In 2008/09, energy demand was 3,859 GWh while in 2009/10 the demand has soared up to 4367.13 GWh.

Although Nepal is one of the richest countries in terms of water resources, it continues to be plagued by a huge power deficit of about 280 MW. According to Sharma, the current demand for power is about 886 MW. He, however, said electricity generation from all existing power plants in the country is only about 605 MW.
Experts claim that Nepal can potentially generate about 70, 000 MW of electricity.

Power deficit notwithstanding, regular maintenance work of two turbines of Middle Marshyangi hydro project is also likely to bring down power supply in the national grid by 70 MW.

According to an official at the NEA, maintenance of the turbines, each with a capacity to generate 35 MW, will be carried out simultaneously. On top of that, NEA does not have specific deadlines to complete the task.

Asked if NEA had any plans to cope with the power woes, Sharma painted a grim scenario. He said only about 18 MW of electricity will be added to the national grid this year.

“Mai Khola (4.5 MW), Ankhu Khola (8.4 MW) and Barun hydro (4 MW) will be completed by the end of this year,” Sharma said.

Moreover, NEA has begun maintenance work of the thermal plant at Bansbari, Morang. The plant has a capacity to generate 39 MW of electricity. However, it has only been generating only about 10 MW due to lack of maintenance. Sharma said, “Maintenance work of the plant is going on. Its generation capacity will be increased.”

However, he could not give the exact date when the maintenance work would be completed. As the spare parts of the machines need to be imported, nothing can be said for sure, he added.

NEA officials said they intend to import more power from the southern neighbor to ease the problem. Currently, Nepal imports about 100 MW of electricity from India at the cost of four billion rupees.

Sharma said NEA is holding talks with India to import additional 25 MW of electricity.

As per the Nepal-India Power Exchange Treaty, Nepal can import up to 50 MW of electricity at a subsided rate -- Rs 6.40 per unit. For additional power import, NEA has to pay a higher price -- Rs 11 per unit.

However, NEA sells per unit of power at an average rate of Rs 6.54, which means power import would add more burdens on the NEA which has already been incurring a loss of five billion rupees every year.

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