KATHMANDU: Minister of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal said that the government had accorded its priority to important projects for the development of Nepal. “The country has the capacity to generate 42,000 MW of electricity and the existing power production is just 1,383 MW.”

Addressing a program marking the 10th anniversary of the Investment Board Nepal organized at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Singha Durbar, today, she said that the government plans to generate at least 10,000 MW of electricity by 2030 BS and it has laid its focus on the development of the hydropower sector. According to her, the government sets a target of generating up to 15,000 MW of electricity within the next 10 years.

“Small, medium, and large hydropower projects will be operated under the concept of public-private partnership,” the Minister said, adding that a plan to build a solar hydro project in one province was in the offing to generate 2,000two MW of electricity.

Stating that transmission infrastructure was a prime need of the hour for power generation, she said that efforts were underway for the development and expansion of power transmission lines for the abroad electricity trade.