Kathmandu: The export of electricity has increased while its import has decreased in the first six months of the current fiscal year 2021/22.

A comparison of the data of the first six months of the current fiscal year with that of the same period of the previous fiscal year shows that the excess electricity after domestic consumption in Nepal has increased in the current fiscal year.

Electricity worth Rs 316 million was exported to India in the last fiscal year, while electricity worth Rs 805 million has been exported in the first six months of the current fiscal year. The export of 44 million units recorded last year has increased to 173 million units in the first six months of this year.

The import of electricity increased from Rs 13.42 billion in FY 2019/20 to Rs 21.82 billion in the last fiscal year. However, electricity worth only Rs 2.58 billion was imported in the first six months of the current fiscal year.

Although imports increase between the period of mid-January and mid-March, it will not exceed Rs 10 billion this year, said Kulman Ghising, managing director of Nepal Electricity Authority. “Compared to the previous year, the demand for electricity has increased by about 200 MW this year.”

About 660 MW has been added to the national grid including 456 MW from the Upper Tamakoshi hydropower project.