Electricity demand reduced by 200 MW after prohibitory order

KATHMANDU: FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2021 – The demand for electricity has also declined by 200 MW due to the decline in economic and humanitarian activities after the nationwide prohibitory order.

Demand for electricity has declined as many sectors including manufacturing industries, tourism service industries, establishments and educational institutions are closed due to the government’s prohibitory order on epidemic. However, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) load dispatch center chief Suresh Bhattarai told Makalu Khabar that the demand for electricity has not been reduced as the activities have not been completely halted due to the strike.

“Prohibitory order and epidemics have reduced electricity demand, but not as much as last year,” he said. At present, the demand and supply of 854 MW of electricity is normal. He said that the high demand, especially in the evening, was 1,145 MW.

He said that the demand for electricity in the Kathmandu Valley has been around 300 MW but it has not exceeded 250 MW at present. Looking at the demand and supply management on Thursday, the authority has been generating and supplying 291 MW of electricity from the projects it has promoted to meet the demand.

Similarly, 306 MW has been taken from the projects promoted by independent energy producers (private sector). Thus, 597 MW has been imported from internal management and 239 MW from India.

However, this year’s imports are lower than last year’s imports, the authority said. “In previous years, we were importing up to 700 MW from India at this time. However, no more than 360 MW has been imported on any day this year.

He said that the production of the river flow project has not been reduced due to the recent rains and gradual improvement in the flow of water in the river.