KATHMANDU: Nepal and India are set to finalize the modalities for the construction of an inter-country transmission line that will facilitate electricity exports to India and Bangladesh.
A secretary-level meeting between the two nations is scheduled to take place in New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss the necessary infrastructure for exporting 15,000 megawatts of electricity from Nepal by 2035.
A delegation led by Suresh Acharya, Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, has left for New Delhi to participate in the talks.
The transmission line construction process will move forward following agreements reached in the meeting, according to Ministry spokesperson Sandeep Kumar Dev. Discussions will cover existing cross-border transmission lines, ongoing and proposed projects, and Indian investments in Nepal’s hydropower sector.
Nepal and India have already agreed to complete two 400 kV transmission lines—one from Inaruwa to Purnia and another from Dododhara to Bareilly—by 2030.
A joint company will be formed on both sides, with the Nepal Electricity Authority and India’s Power Grid Corporation Limited holding a 51 percent share in their respective countries. The remaining 49 percent will be owned by the other nation.
Additionally, both sides have agreed to finalize the detailed project report (DPR) for the Chameliya-Jaulljivi 220 kV double circuit transmission line by 2025. The capacity of the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur transmission line is also set to increase from 800 MW to 1,000 MW. Further, the construction of 400 kV Nijgadh-Motihari and Kohalpur-Lucknow transmission lines is planned for completion by 2035.
Energy Minister Deepak Khadka emphasized that these agreements will play a crucial role in achieving Nepal’s goal of exporting 15,000 megawatts of electricity by 2035. He highlighted khthe importance of building international transmission infrastructure to expand electricity exports in the future.
Nepal and India had previously signed a long-term electricity trade agreement for the export of 10,000 megawatts over a decade, and 40 megawatts of electricity have already been exported to Bangladesh.
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