India to Export Power to Nepal After Devastating Floods

India is poised to export electricity to Nepal, marking a significant reversal in the traditional power trade between the two nations. This comes after severe flash floods in Nepal extensively damaged its hydroelectric and solar power infrastructure.

Flood Damage Impacts Nepal’s Grid

Recent flash floods in Nepal have crippled 13 hydroelectric power plants and one solar plant, severely impacting the country’s generation capacity. This damage directly necessitates a shift from Nepal’s usual role as a hydropower exporter.

• Total affected generation capacity: approximately 360MW.
• Number of hydroelectric plants damaged: 13.
• One solar plant also sustained damage.
• Hydropower constitutes over 90% of Nepal’s total 4,300MW capacity.
• The 14MW Devighat hydropower plant, which also supplies India, was among those damaged.

India’s Capacity and Cross-Border Infrastructure

India’s Ministry of Power has expressed its readiness to evaluate Nepal’s request for electricity, citing the country’s robust domestic generation capacity. India maintains a comfortable surplus, allowing it to consider such exports without straining its own supply.

• India’s current domestic power demand: 245-250GW.
• India’s peak power capacity: 280GW.
• Existing cross-border transmission line (Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur 400kV) capacity: 1,000MW.
• Recently agreed expansion of transmission capacity: to over 1,400MW.

This potential power export underscores the critical role of regional energy cooperation, especially as climate events increasingly impact infrastructure. The expanded transmission capacity between India and Nepal will be crucial in managing such unforeseen supply disruptions in the future.