India Approves Up to 654 MW Power Supply to Nepal for 18 Hours Daily

India has approved the supply of up to 654 megawatts (MW) of electricity to Nepal for up to 18 hours a day until December 31, providing an additional power-import option as Nepal prepares for the winter season.

The approval has been granted by India’s Ministry of Power and will come into effect from Friday. The arrangement will allow Nepal to draw electricity from India during non-peak hours, while supply will remain unavailable during the evening peak-demand period.

Under the approved arrangement, Nepal can receive up to 600 MW of electricity through the 400 kV Muzaffarpur–Dhalkebar cross-border transmission line from midnight to 6 PM. An additional 54 MW can be imported through the 132 kV Tanakpur–Mahendranagar transmission line during the same period.

This means Nepal can access a combined maximum of 654 MW from India for up to 18 hours each day under the approval. However, electricity supply from India will not be available between 6 PM and midnight, when power demand in Nepal typically reaches its daily peak. According to India’s Press Information Bureau, the approval has been issued to facilitate electricity supply to Nepal during the specified period.

Despite the new import approval, Nepal is currently in a position to export electricity rather than rely heavily on imports. The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is presently exporting an average of around 800 MW of electricity to India each day. NEA Spokesperson Rajan Dhakal said the newly approved import capacity may not immediately be required in large volumes because Nepal is currently generating sufficient electricity to meet domestic demand and export the surplus.

However, the additional import facility could serve as an important backup mechanism if unexpected problems occur in power generation or transmission. The need for additional contingency arrangements has become more important following recent flood-related damage to hydropower infrastructure.

According to the NEA, 12 hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 431 MW have been shut down due to flood damage. The loss of these generation sources is expected to reduce Nepal’s available electricity production during the coming winter, potentially increasing the need for power imports.

The availability of an approved import route from India could therefore help the country maintain system stability if domestic generation falls short or technical problems affect individual projects or transmission lines.

Meanwhile, Nepal’s electricity export to Bangladesh through India has also been affected by the disruption to power generation caused by the floods. The country’s 40 MW electricity export to Bangladesh has been suspended after the hydropower projects supplying the electricity were affected.

The NEA has identified Kabeli B-1 and Thulo Khola hydropower projects as alternative sources and has sought approval from India to resume electricity exports using the new sources. However, India has not yet granted approval for the proposal.

The NEA expects to receive the necessary consent from the Indian authorities soon, which would allow Nepal to resume its electricity export arrangement with Bangladesh.

While Nepal may not need to utilize the full 654 MW approved capacity under normal operating conditions, the arrangement provides an additional layer of security for the national electricity system.

With hydropower generation vulnerable to seasonal fluctuations and recent flood damage affecting several projects, access to cross-border electricity during non-peak hours could help the NEA manage potential supply gaps and respond to unexpected disruptions during the winter months.