NEA to supply up to 56 MW power through dedicated feeders

NEPAL Electricity Authority (NEA) is preparing to supply electricity up to 56 MW through dedicated feeders to industries. In a bid to address the demand from the industrial sector that has been hit hard by extended power outage hours, the state-owned power utility said it would supply energy through dedicated feeders from its six corridors. The NEA tabled this proposal to the Electricity Tariff Fixation Commission (ETFC) on Tuesday. As per the proposal, the NEA will supply 12 MW from Sunsari-Morang Corridor, 25 MW from Simara- Birgunj and Hetaunda-Bharatpur Corridor, 4 MW from Janakpur- Sagarmatha Corridor, 2.5 MW from Pokhara Corridor, 5 MW from Kathmandu Corridor and 7.5 MW from Butwal Corridor through dedicated lines. On May 27, the NEA had proposed the ETFC to hike tariff for the electricity supplied through dedicated feeders by up to 100 percent. In reply, the ETFC had sought a detailed programme from the NEA in this regard. NEA Managing Director Rameshwor Yadav said the NEA is committed to serve the interest of the industrial sector and will soon introduce the system once the proposal is endorsed by the ETFC. Of the 56 MW electricity to be supplied through dedicated feeders, the NEA will manage 30 MW through diesel plants in Hetaunda and Duhabi and import 26 MW from India, it said in the proposal. NEA MD Yadav, however, said the dedicated feeder facility will not be given to industries that demand less than 1 MW. “The NEA will supply uninterrupted energy through dedicated lines for up to 20 hours a day,” he added. ETFC chief Ganesh Prashad Subba said although the proposal aims at offering some relief to the industrial sector, it needs to be discussed extensively to make sure the provision will not put domestic consumers in difficulty. “Power supply to domestic consumers should not be slashed while offering additional energy to industries through dedicated feeders,” he said, adding his commission will only take a decision after holding discussions with the private sector and stakeholders. NEA officials are also of the view that the new provision may affect domestic consumers. “It’s wrong to provide additional energy to industries by curtailing the energy supplied to domestic consumers,” said an NEA official. But NEA MD Yadav said domestic consumers will not be affected as the additional energy to be supplied through the dedicated lines will be arranged from diesel plants and Indian imports. NEA said it supplies 25 MW to Balaju Industrial Estate, Nepal Telecom, Ncell, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), and Om Hospital, among others, through dedicated feeder lines.