India positive about purchasing surplus power from all projects of Nepal

India is positive on buying surplus power form Nepal though it had earlier decided to purchase electricity produced from those projects which will have Indian investment.
During a meeting between energy secretaries of Nepal and India in New Delhi, it has shown positive interest responding to the Nepal’s request for revision on the decision, informed Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) spokesperson Prabal Adhikari. "During the meeting, India also informed that it was reviewing its inter-country electricity trade guideline and rules."
Nepal, at present, imports electricity from India during the dry season but it is going to produce surplus power in the monsoon, after the completion of projects that are under construction.
Currently, projects with a capacity of 1,594 megawatt (MW) are under-construction in Nepal, whereas projects with 6,000 MW capacity are in the pipeline.
Meanwhile, the Indian team led by power secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla also informed Nepali team led by energy secretary Anup Upadhyaya that India’s electricity system would get balanced, if Nepal implemented the proposed energy banking system. "However, launching this system requires a lot of study on both sides."
The meeting has principally agreed to establish energy banking system. Nepal has proposed for the system and the Indian authorities have agreed. The Central Electricity Authority of India (CEA) will hold discussions with the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar governments on how this concept can be taken forward.
Similarly, Nepal-India energy secretary level talks – also called the Joint Steering Committee (JSC) meeting that concluded today – agreed to finalise the construction modality of a new 400 kV Butwal-Gorakhpur cross-border transmission line within three months.
The meeting has also agreed to authorise the preparation of the construction modality of the cross-border transmission line to Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) and Central Electricity Authority of India (CEA).
Nepal has, on the occasion, proposed that both countries take the initiative to individually construct the transmission lines that fall in their respective territories and the meeting also urged the technical committee to recommend the funding modality to the JSC.

Electricity from India to cost Rs 10 per unit

Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has fixed the new tariff for the electricity imported from India.
The meeting of Nepal-India Electricity Exchange Committee held today in New Delhi has fixed Rs 8.88 minimum to Rs 10.32 maximum per unit based on the capacity of the transmission lines. The new rate will be applicable immediately and until the next power exchange committee meeting which is scheduled for March 2018. The new tariff for the electricity to be imported from India will be fixed by another meeting of the committee agreed to hold within next March.
According to NEA spokesperson Prabal Adhikari, who also attended the meeting of the Committee at New Delhi, the new tariff has been determined at IRs Rs 5.55 minimum for the electricity imported through big transmission line and IRs 6.45 maximum per unit for the electricity imported through small transmission line.
He also explained that the electricity imported through transmission line of 11 kv will cost Rs 10.32 (IRs 6.54), Rs 9.60 (IRs 6) of 33 kv and Rs 8.88 (IRs 5.55) of Rs 132 Kv.
With the new decision, per unit price of electricity being imported from 12 various Indian border points for the next seven months via 132 kv, 33 kv and 11 kv cross-border transmission line will be cheaper by IRs 0.07, IRs 0.08 and IRs 0.09, respectively, he added.
After a Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) delegation led by managing director Kulman Ghising today requested Central Electricity Authority (CEA) of India to slash the electricity price, they have agreed to reduce the price of electricity exported to Nepal. The Ghising-led delegation is currently in New Delhi in the second meeting of Nepal-India Power Exchange Committee. The committee is a bilateral platform to make decision on a number of issues including cross-border electricity trade like tariff rate, quantity and modality.
The first meeting of the Nepal-India Power Exchange Committee in 2011 had fixed the tariff at less than IRs 4 per unit. It agreed to review prices at subsequent meetings that would be held annually. As no meetings could be held since then, the tariff rate grew by 5.5 per cent every year for six consecutive years according to the decision of the first meeting.
Currently, Nepal is paying Rs 8.99 per unit for up to 50 MW and Rs 8.88 above 50 MW. Although committee meetings were supposed to be held annually, they didn’t happen because of India’s unwillingness to do so. The meeting which hadn’t become possible despite relentless efforts by Nepal took place today at the Indian initiative on the eve of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s India visit next week.
The meeting also decided constructions of the three transmission lines of 132 Kv and two of 22 Kv, Adhikari said, adding that the meeting also agreed to re-operate the long defunct 33 kv Dhangadi-Paliya transmission line within two months. Around 50 per cent of the total electricity import is done through the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur and Tanakpur-Mahendranagar power lines.
The meeting also decided that Nepal will import additional 100 MW through inter-country transmission line. It is expected to help Nepal prevent from power outage during the winter. Adhikari said that 50 MW each will be imported through the new 132 kv Kataiya-Kusaha and Raxaul-Parwanipur transmission lines under the ‘take and pay’ modality. Although, the construction of the Raxual-Parawanipur and Kushaha inter-country transmission line was completed some six months ago, no electricity had been imported through the line from India yet.
Currently, Nepal has been importing 380 MW of electricity from India. The NEA has been importing about 50 MW of electricity through 33 kv transmission lines at Raxaul, Siraha, Jaleshwar, Kataiya and Nanpara border points. Similarly, 830 KW of electricity is being imported through 11 kv transmission lines at Lali, Huti and Jaulijiwi border points. Likewise, NEA has been importing 130 MW and 30 MW of electricity through the Kataiya-Kusaha and Gandak-Ramnagar 132 kv transmission lines, respectively.