KATHMANDU, Feb 19: The meeting of Nepal-India Energy Secretary-level Joint Steering Committee has ended on a positive note. The 10th meeting of the Joint Directorate Committee held on Saturday evening in Mount Abu, Rajasthan, India, reached some important agreement on cross-border electricity trade, existing transmission lines and under construction and proposed transmission lines.
Madhu Prasad Bhetuwal, joint secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, who participated in the meeting, informed that it was agreed to increase the electricity capacity being imported-exported from 600 to 800 through the first international Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur 400 kV transmission line which is currently in operation.
Similarly, an agreement has been reached between the two parties to import and export 70 to 80 megawatts of electricity from Tanakpur-Mahendranagar 132 kV power transmission. He also informed that the joint technical team agreed to study possible options for exporting up to 200 megawatts of electricity.
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After this meeting, it is said that India is positive about taking electricity from other projects in Nepal. "India has looked positively on Nepal's proposal to enter into an intergovernmental agreement to export electricity generated from various hydropower projects in Nepal to the Indian market. The Indian side is positive to give approval according to India's electricity import-export guidelines if a proposal is submitted with specific projects regarding the export of 50 megawatts of electricity from Nepal to Bangladesh," said Joint Secretary Bhetuwal.
It has also been agreed to make a necessary mechanism to export electricity from Nepal to the Indian state of Bihar during the rainy season through the existing transmission line of 132 kV and below.
Both the parties have also agreed on the early completion of the construction work of the Indian section of the 400 kV new Butwal-Gorakhpur transmission line as the second international transmission line by March 2025.
According to Joint Secretary Bhetuwal, it has also been agreed to build two more 400 kV capacity international transmission lines between Nepal and India. It has been agreed to start the construction of Inaruwa-Purnia 400 kV transmission line by 2027-28 BS and New Lamki-Bareilly transmission line by 2028-29 BS.
Before this meeting, a joint working group (Joint Working Group) meeting of the two countries was also held on Friday.
