Pokhara, 10 Sep 2023. The electrified vehicle charging station, constructed within the premises of the Kalika Fuel Center operated by Kaski’s Armed Police Force Welfare Service Center, has been inaugurated.
On Sunday, in a joint effort, Inspector General Raju Aryal of the Armed Police Force and Managing Director Kulman Ghising of the Nepal Electricity Authority inaugurated two state-of-the-art fast charging stations.
The public electric vehicle charging station is equipped with 60/60-kilovolt DC and 22-kilowatt AC chargers for quick charging. There are 142-kilowatt capacity fast chargers at the charging station, allowing up to 6 vehicles, including large buses, to charge simultaneously. An agreement for the establishment of the charging station between the Armed Police Force and the Authority was signed on 22 Aug 2022.
The Authority has purchased all the equipment for the charging station at its own expense and has also carried out the necessary infrastructure construction. The Authority is responsible for the maintenance and regular servicing of the equipment. The Armed Police Force provided the land for the infrastructure construction. They will be responsible for the operation and security of the charging station. There is a provision that the charging station cannot be operated by a third party/organization.
According to the Electricity Distribution Regulations, 50 percent of the total profit amount from the electricity tariff rate will be received by the Armed Police Force Welfare Center for the operation and management expenses of the charging station.
In the inauguration program, Inspector General Aryal of the Armed Police Force expressed that the operation of the charging station will encourage the use of electric vehicles, and its availability will create a reliable and convenient environment for users.
Managing Director Ghising mentioned that by promoting the use of electric vehicles within the country, which utilize domestically produced clean and green energy, the expansion of charging stations across the nation is essential for further growth and development.
Ghising, expressing enthusiasm for the phase of increased electricity demand, mentioned, “In the past, the concept of electric vehicles was not feasible when there were load shedding issues, but now, with the end of load shedding and the emergence of charging infrastructure, we are in a situation where electricity consumption has increased, and we are ready to export more electricity.” He also stated that preparations are underway to encourage private sector investments in the charging station and to arrange for adjustments in electricity tariffs.
The Authority has established 51 state-of-the-art fast charging stations for electric vehicles at various locations across the country. In the second phase, the construction process for 11 more charging stations is in progress.
Under the Electricity Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Development Project, facilitated by the investment from the Authority and the concessional loan from the Asian Development Bank, as well as technical support from the Norwegian government, there are currently 51 electric vehicle charging stations in operation, where fast charging is available along major highways, bus parks, and major cities of all seven provinces. These charging stations, constructed at a cost of approximately 400 million Nepalese Rupees, include 26 stations capable of charging large buses, microbuses, trucks, pickups, and cars, along with 25 stations for small to medium-sized cars.
