ADB $150 million loan to help improve power distribution, efficiency in Nepal

The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Board of Directors has approved a $150 million loan to help improve the reliability and efficiency of Nepal’s electricity supply and distribution through the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).
ADB will also administer a $2 million technical assistance grant from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR) financed by the government of Japan to strengthen the capacity of Nepal's energy sector to deliver Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) results.
"Reliable and sustainable electricity distribution and service is an important aspect to Nepal’s growth and development, as well as in the improvement of the quality of life of all its people,” said ADB senior energy specialist Jiwan Acharya. "We are confident that the project will help improve electricity distribution and efficiency in the country, and significantly support the government’s goal of ending the country’s energy crisis within the next two years and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 (Sustainable Energy for All)."
The electricity supplies are expected to increase rapidly during the next several years through various hydropower projects nearing completion and imports from India through cross-border line. Therefore, existing transmission and distribution systems need to be immediately rehabilitated and upgraded for the network to be able to deliver the additional electricity supplies to consumers.
The project will enhance the distribution capacity and improve reliability and quality of electricity supply in the Kathmandu Valley by reducing distribution system overloads and technical and commercial losses. This will be done through the strengthening of the transmission grid capacity, increasing capacity and rehabilitating the distribution network in the project area, and enhancing operational and financial performance of NEA distribution centers.
The project will also develop NEA’s capacity to operate and manage an advanced distribution system and intelligent network – smart grid – technology with GESI aspects in electricity access and end-user awareness programs.
NEA is the sole government agency responsible for electricity generation, transmission, and distribution in Nepal. Kathmandu Valley, the main project area, accounts for about 400,000 electricity end-users or about 16 per cent of NEA’s total consumers in Nepal.
ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, ADB is celebrating 50 years of development partnership in the region. It is owned by 67 members, 48 from the region. In 2016, ADB assistance totaled $31.7 billion, including $14 billion in cofinancing.