KATHMANDU: The Independent Power Producers’ Association-Nepal (IPPAN) has called on the government to revise power purchase agreements with 16 hydropower projects of less than 25 megawatts as per the commitment made over two and a half years ago.
In March 2011, when the then deputy prime minister and minister for finance and energy Bharat Mohan Adhikari, had declared an ‘energy crisis’ in the country for the next four and a half years, he had pledged to purchase power from projects of less than 25MW at Rs 8.40 per unit during the dry season and Rs 4.80 per unit during the wet season, as against prevalent rates of Rs seven and Rs four, respectively.
But there was a caveat: the higher prices applied only to projects that pledged to start commercial operation within mid-April 2015.
At that time, 23 projects had filed applications, of which seven projects have already signed power purchase agreements with Nepal Electricity Authority at ‘posted rates’ of Rs 8.40 per unit during the dry season and Rs 4.80 per unit during the wet season. However, power purchase agreements of 16 other projects — that have also pledged to launch commercial operation within mid-April 2015 — have not been revised so far.
“We want the Finance Ministry to make necessary efforts so that their agreements can be revised at the earliest,” IPPAN president Khadga Bahadur Bisht told finance minister Shanker Koirala, today, during a meeting.
Bisht added that the delay on this part will only discourage project operators, which will ultimately force the country to reel under power crisis for a longer period.
He also asked the finance minister to push for implementation of agreements on upward price revision reached with 27 hydro projects that are now classified as ‘sick’. “The government had previously signed power purchase agreements with those projects by promising to purchase electricity from them at a higher price. But the decision has not been implemented,” Bisht said.
In response, the finance minister said the first priority of the incumbent government was to solve the power crisis faced by the country. “I am willing to take whatever step in this regard,” the minister assured the delegation led by Bisht.
Finance secretary Shanta Raj Subedi also echoed the minister. “A government which has shouldered billions of rupees of losses incurred by the state-owned Nepal Electricity Authority will not back down from making additional investment in hydropower sector,” he said.
Source : The Himalayan Times
Photo: Online Khabar
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२७ विद्युत आयोजना रुग्ण, प्रतिमेगावाट २ करोड सहुलियत ऋणको माग
११ पुस, काठमाडौं । अर्थमन्त्री शंकरप्रसाद
कोइरालाले उर्जा संकटको निदान सरकारको पहिलो प्राथमिकता भएकाले त्यस सम्बन्धी जस्तोसुकै समस्या सुल्झाउन आफू तत्पर रहेको बताउनुभएको छ ।
स्वतन्त्र उर्जा उत्पादकहरुको संस्था (ईपान) का पदाधिकारीहरुसँग विहिवार अर्थ मन्त्रालयमा भएको भेटमा अर्थमन्त्री कोइरालाले आफूले ल्याएको बजेटमा तीन वर्षभित्र नेपाललाई लोडसेडिङमुक्त बनाउने प्रतिवद्धता व्यक्त भएअनुसार सवै क्षेत्रबाट सहयोग हुनुपर्ने बताउनुभयो ।
उहाँले हाइडड्रोपावरका ठूला आयोजनाहरुले भोग्नु परेका समस्याका विषयमा आफूले सरोकारवालाहरुसँग बारम्बार छलफल गरेको बताउँदै समस्यालाई समस्या नभएर समाधानका दृष्टिले हेरेर अघि बढ्नुपर्ने बताउनुभयो । उर्जाको विकासका लागि इतिहासमै अर्थमन्त्रालयले आफ्ना सीमा रेखा नाघेरै निर्णय गरेको स्पष्ट गर्नुभयो ।
अर्थसचिव शान्तराज सुवेदीले विद्युत प्राधिकरणको अरबौंको घाटा काँध हालेको सरकार हाइड्रोपावरमा पर्याप्त लगानी गर्न पछि नपर्ने बताउनुभयो । सहसचिवद्वय राजन खनाल र वैकुण्ठ ढुंगानाले राज्यले दिएको सुविधा नलिए त्यो पनि गुम्नेमा सच्ोत गराउँदै सुविधा लिने र अधिकारका लागि लड्न आग्रह गर्नुभयो । सो अवसरमा उत्पादकहरुहरुले उर्जा क्षेत्रलाई पहिलो प्राथमिकतामा राखेको बताएपनि राजश्वको अस्पष्टताले आफूहरु समस्यामा परेको बताए ।
संस्थाका अध्यक्ष खड्गबहादुर विष्टको नेतृत्वमा आएको प्रतिनिधिमण्डलले विद्युत खरिद सम्झौता गरिसकेका र निर्माणमा गइसकेका आयोजनाहरुको जोखिमपूर्ण आर्थिक अवस्थालाई ध्यानमा राखी पछिल्लो पटक भएको संशोधित सम्झौता कार्यान्वयनमा ल्याउन माग गरिएको छ ।
उर्जा मन्त्रालय र उर्जा उत्पादकहरु बीच भएको सम्झौतामा सुख्खा याममा ८ रुपैयाँ ४० पैसा र वषर्ा याममा ४ रुपैयाँ ४० पैसा दिने उल्लेख छ । उर्जा उत्पादकहरुले निर्माण सामग्री तथा जडान उपकरणको अत्यधिक मूल्य वृद्धि भएको सन्दर्भमा विद्युत खरिद दर अपर्याप्त भएको भन्दै कार्यदल गठन गरी पुनर्विचार गर्न ध्यानाकर्षण गराएका छन् ।
उर्जा उत्पादकले सरकारलाई बुझाएको पत्रमा भनिएको छ- ‘हाल सञ्चालनमा रहेका २७ वटा योजनाहरु विभिन्न कारणले रुग्ण उद्योगमा परिणत हुन पुगेका र यी योजनाहरुलाई मूल्य वृद्धिको आश्वासन दिइ विद्युत खरिद सम्झौता गरिएपनि सो मूल्य वृद्धि हुन नसकेको सन्दर्भमा ती योजनाहरुलाई आर्थिक रुपमा सफल बनाउन पीपीएमा समायोजन गर्न आवश्यक छ ।’
व्यवसायीहरुले ६ प्रतिशत व्याजदरमा कम्तिमा १० वर्षका लागि प्रति मेघावाट २ करोड उपलब्ध गराइदिन पनि आग्रह गरेका छन् ।
Source : Online Khabar
