Kathmandu: Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has floated a proposal for mutual seasonal power exchange with the Indian State of Bihar in order to export surplus electricity during the rainy season and import electricity in winter.

After the construction of the 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi and other private sector hydropower projects, there are chances of the country having a surplus of electricity during monsoon. Therefore, the NEA has proposed a mutual seasonal power exchange with Bihar State Power Holding Company for the management of surplus power. Nepal and India have been exchanging electricity since 1971.

According to NEA Managing Director Kulman Ghising, the authority has proposed exporting electricity from Nepal to Bihar for six months of the rainy season and importing electricity from there for six months in winter. “Our proposal is to provide 200 MW of electricity 24 hours a day to Bihar during the rainy season and additional power can be provided from 11 PM to 6 AM and bring in electricity from there during winter,” he said. “If there is a difference between the quantity sent from here in the rainy season and the quantity brought in from there in winter, the price of electricity will be fixed through an appropriate method.”

“If we have such an arrangement in place, our surplus electricity can be sent to India in the rainy season while we can bring in electricity from India, in winter when we face power crunch,” Ghising said, adding: “We have received positive response from India and we believe that a concrete decision will be made within a few days.”

According to Ghising, in the remaining three months of this year, about 700 million units of surplus energy and 3.79 billion units of surplus energy next year can be given to Bihar. The same amount of electricity can be imported in winter. If this arrangement is implemented, a very high amount of electricity that is wasted every year will be used.

At present, up to 371 MW of electricity can be exchanged through the 33 and 132 kV transmission lines connected to Bihar.

Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal had sent a team led by NEA MD Ghising to India to discuss the sale of electricity.