Kathmandu: The modality for the construction of an inter-country transmission line between Nepal, India, and Bangladesh is set to be determined. A secretary-level meeting between Nepal and India in New Delhi will finalize the modality for the required transmission line to facilitate the export of 15,000 megawatts of electricity from Nepal to India and Bangladesh by 2035.
A team led by Secretary Suresh Acharya of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation has left for New Delhi today to attend the secretary-level meeting between Nepal and India scheduled for Tuesday. After the secretary-level talks and agreement between the two countries, the process for the construction of the transmission line will be moved forward.
On Magh 9 (January 22), the 12th meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Secretary-level Energy Task Force reached an agreement to facilitate the construction of cross-border transmission lines and the import and export of electricity. Ministry spokesperson Sandip Kumar Dev stated that the agreement will be implemented after approval from the secretary-level meeting between the two countries.
The meeting discussed the existing electricity transmission lines between Nepal and India, ongoing and proposed cross-border transmission lines, various hydropower projects with Indian investments and their associated transmission line projects, as well as matters related to cross-border electricity import and export.
An agreement has been reached to complete the construction of two 400 kV transmission lines from Inaruwa, Nepal, to Purnia, India, and from Dododhara, Nepal, to Bareilly, India, by 2030. A joint company will be established on both sides, with share ownership held by the Nepal Electricity Authority and India’s Power Grid Corporation Limited.
After the agreement between the two countries, the joint company established in Nepal will have 51% share ownership by Nepal, while the company established in India will have 51% share ownership by India. The remaining 49% share ownership in each company will be held by the other country.
Similarly, an agreement has been reached to complete the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the 220 kV double-circuit Chameliya–Jauljibi transmission line by 2025. Likewise, the capacity of the Dhalkebar–Muzaffarpur transmission line will be increased from 800 MW to 1,000 MW.
Similarly, an agreement has been reached to complete the construction of the 400 kV transmission lines from Nijgadh to Motihari and from Kohalpur to Lucknow by 2035. This agreement will be approved by the secretary-level meeting between the two countries.
Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Deepak Khadka, stated that the agreements for the construction of such transmission lines will greatly help in achieving the government’s target of exporting 15,000 megawatts of electricity abroad by 2035. He emphasized that the structure for cross-border transmission lines should be developed to facilitate further electricity exports in the future.
Earlier, a long-term electricity trade agreement was signed between Nepal and India for the export of 10,000 megawatts over the next 10 years, and the export of 40 megawatts of electricity to Bangladesh has already begun.
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