September 13: With the power generated from Upper Tamakoshi Hydro Power Project getting connected to the national grid, around 400 MW of surplus electricity has remained unused during the night time.    
The reserve electricity in day is 200 MW. There was a time when the country was struggling for a single unit of power. The power distributing companies are facing more power surplus during the monsoon.    
Executive Director of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Kulman Ghising, said that the country has become self-sufficient on electricity with the Upper Tamakoshi being connected to the national grid.    
This has resulted in a large volume of power going unused. The NEA is incurring a daily loss equivalent to Rs 40 million due to surplus power, according to Ghising.    
India could be the best market for surplus power, but the neighbouring country has not given any green signal towards this end.

During his recent visit to India, Ghising urged Indian officials to facilitate in finding an accessible market for the surplus power generated in Nepal.    
The NEA delegation discussed with the Indian side about exporting surplus power to India and importing power from India during the lean period.    
NEA has proposed mutual seasonal electricity exchange with Bihar State Power Holding Company Limited to utilise surplus power generated during monsoon from various hydropower projects including the 456-megawatt Upper Tamakoshi hydropower, said Ghising.    
    
"A proposal has been prepared for Nepal to supply the surplus electricity to Bihar during the monsoon and to bring it from Bihar during winter. In case of unequal amounts of electricity exchanged between Nepal and Bihar, its price will be fixed through an appropriate method," he said.    
    
There has been an electricity exchange between Nepal and India since 1971.    
    
So far, the NEA has reached the power purchase agreement with 346 hydropower projects to purchase 6,176 megawatts of electricity. Of them, 111 projects with 1,300 megawatts have come into operation.    
    
Likewise, 136 projects with capacity to produce 3,034 megawatts of electricity are under construction. And other 99 projects of 1,841 megawatts capacity are under financial closing process, said the NEA. -- RSS