KATHMANDU: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Deepak Khadka has said that Nepal will no longer have to let domestically produced electricity go to waste, following the signing of a multilateral agreement to advance the West Seti Corridor’s hydropower development and transmission infrastructure.
Speaking at the agreement signing ceremony held Monday, Minister Khadka stated that the lack of transmission lines will no longer be a barrier to power distribution. He said the agreement would significantly contribute to achieving Nepal’s energy roadmap goals.
According to him, the collaboration will not only resolve transmission issues but also enable private companies to produce and trade surplus electricity, both for domestic use and export.
The agreement was signed between five institutions to jointly develop hydropower projects and a 400 kV international transmission line under the West Seti Corridor.
The institutions involved are Hydro Electricity Investment and Development Company Limited (HIDCL), National Transmission Grid Company Limited, Chainpur Seti Hydropower Company Limited (CJCL), Chilime Seti Hydropower Company Limited (CSHC), and Samriddhi Energy Limited (SEL).
As per the agreement, the partners will collaborate in building the Bajhang–Nilegad–Dodhara 400 kV transmission line and integrate it with three major hydropower projects—Chainpur Seti (210 megawatts), Seti River–3 (87 megawatts), and Upper Seti Bajhang (216 megawatts). The scope of cooperation includes project development, financial resource mobilization, and operation.
During the ceremony, the memorandum of understanding was signed and exchanged by the chief executives and representatives of the five companies, including HIDCL CEO Prajesh Bikram Thapa, CJCL CEO Sagar Shrestha, CSHC CEO Anil Bhakta Shrestha, SEL Managing Director Narayan Prasad Acharya, and Chairperson Shailendra Humagain.
Also addressing the event, Energy Secretary Suresh Acharya said that a strong partnership between the public and private sectors has become essential in Nepal’s energy sector. He noted that the cooperation would help bring structural reforms and boost national power production capacity.
Secretary Acharya added that the agreement should be seen as a milestone in securing Nepal’s energy future by balancing power trade, infrastructure development, and private investment toward long-term self-reliance.
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