The government, in a bid to expedite its ambitious plan to generate 28,500 MW of electricity in the next one decade, has prepared an ‘Energy Development Roadmap and Working Guideline.’

According to an official of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation (MoEWRI), the ministry has forwarded the working guideline to the Cabinet seeking its final approval for implementation. The proposed roadmap is aimed at generating the investment necessary to increase the country’s installed electricity generation capacity by multifolds.

At present, Nepal’s installed capacity of electricity production stands at a total of 3,200 MW. The government has developed an energy development strategy with the goal of producing a total of 28,000 MW of electricity by 2035.

Out of the planned production, 13,000 MW is intended for domestic consumption, and 15,000 MW is targeted for export to countries including India. Under a long-term energy agreement between Nepal and India, the goal is to export up to 10,000 MW of electricity from Nepal to India over the next 10 years.

It has been estimated that the government will need to invest about Rs 6.1 trillion to achieve the goal. The government aims to bring about a qualitative change in the energy sector by involving the private sector in its development. Despite setting an ambitious target, the government does not have concrete plans as of now to manage the necessary capital.

The proposed roadmap and working guideline talks about the government taking prompt action to manage financial sources for the projects it will be starting, while the ones which cannot be materialized will be handed over to the private sector. It has aimed to manage a total investment of US $46 billion for the overall development of the energy sector.

Last week, the government-owned National Transmission Grid Company Limited and Hydroelectricity Investment and Development Company (HIDCL) signed an agreement with private sector companies to build an electricity transmission line through the public-private partnership (PPP) model. According to the MoEWRI, the initiative is a part of the government’s plan to materialize the production of 28,500 MW of electricity in the next one decade.

Meanwhile, the 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydroelectric Project (UTHP) is producing 100 MW of electricity from Tuesday evening. “We have completed maintenance of one out of the two desanders to send water to the tunnel. This will help produce some portion of the total capacity of electricity generation of the project,” said Mohan Gautam, chief executive officer of Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Limited.

The UTHP has remained closed since floods and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall on September 27 and 28 caused damage to the headworks and the powerhouse of the project. The UTHP is projected to take around six months to come into full-fledged operation. At a time when India has been reluctant to export electricity to Nepal during the peak winter season, the resumption of the UTHP operation is expected to give some respite to the country to manage the shortfall of power supply in the ongoing dry season.