Kathmandu, 19 December 2021. Steps taken to increase electricity consumption and with the onset of winter, the domestic demand for electricity has skyrocketed. According to the Nepal Electricity Authority, the peak demand for electricity has increased by an average of 300 MW this year as compared to last year.
Work is being done accordingly with the policy of increasing the use of electronic equipment and providing the required amount of electricity to the industries to increase the consumption as the electricity generated internally cannot be consumed.
Consumption is increasing on a daily basis due to the increase in the use of electric stoves, air conditioners and other household appliances, the increase in the use of electric vehicles, and the provision of sufficient electricity to large industries. The demand has also increased as NEA has provided 30 MW of electricity to Hongshi, Nepal’s largest cement industry, since the end of October.
Demand for electricity is increasing in both capacity (MW) and energy (units). For example, on December 13, the high demand for electricity in the system was 1539 MW. This is 322 MW more than the demand of 1217 MW on the same day last year. On this basis, peak demand for electricity has increased by 26.5 percent as compared to the same day last year.
In order to meet the peak demand of the system, 540 MW was imported from NEA’s power houses, 529 MW from NEA’s subsidiary power houses, 425 MW from private sector power houses and 25 MW from India. On the same day, 4 MW of electricity was also exported to India during peak hours.
Demand for electricity has also skyrocketed in the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding areas. The maximum demand for electricity in the Kathmandu Valley has increased by an average of 90 MW. The peak demand of Kathmandu Valley, which was 293 MW last year, has reached 382 MW this year.
Based on the demand for energy, the electricity consumption was 27.2 million units on December 13. This consumption is 6.1 million units more than 21.1 million units on the same day last year. Energy consumption in terms of energy is 28.65 percent higher than last year.
NEA Executive Director Kulman Ghising said that the increase in peak demand by 30 percent this year as compared to last year was a great achievement.
“The use of induction cookers and air conditioners in homes is increasing, the use of electric vehicles is increasing, charging stations are expanding, and the demand for loads is increasing in an effort to provide adequate electricity to the industrial sector,” said Ghising. “If the demand for electricity increases as it is now, it is expected to reach 2,000 MW by the end of the current fiscal year.”
Ghising said that the first priority has been to increase the domestic consumption of electricity produced in the country by providing reliable and quality electricity to the consumers.
Executive Director Ghising himself has been inspecting the main industrial corridors in the country urging the industrialists to get as much electricity as they need.
Under the NEA’s short-term plan, the industries demanding electricity will be provided electricity immediately by strengthening the transmission and distribution lines and expanding the capacity and the work of the projects under construction will be completed as soon as possible.
Under the long-term plan, NEA plans to start construction of large capacity lines and substations for transmission and distribution by identifying potential areas where electricity consumption may increase.
NEA is also requesting the industries that need more electricity to open the quantity and apply immediately. Extensive strengthening work has been undertaken mainly to improve the network of power transmission and distribution system in the industrial corridor area.