Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has resumed exporting 40 megawatts of electricity to Bangladesh from June 15 through India’s transmission infrastructure, marking a significant step in regional energy cooperation. This follows a brief 12-hour export to Bangladesh in July 2024, the first of its kind for Nepal.
The renewed export is part of a power sale agreement signed last year between NEA, Bangladesh Power Development Board, and NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited of India. Under this arrangement, Nepal will export electricity to Bangladesh for five months, from June 15 to November 15, during the monsoon season when the country generates surplus power.
According to Subarna Sapkota, Deputy Manager at NEA’s Electricity System Control Department, a total of 146.88 million units of electricity will be sold to Bangladesh over the five-month period. At the rate of 6.40 US cents per unit, Nepal is expected to earn around Rs 1.29 billion. The electricity is routed from Nepal’s 400 kV Dhalkebar Substation to Bangladesh’s Bhermara Substation via Muzaffarpur and Berhampur in India.
This export initiative builds on Nepal’s broader strategy of selling surplus monsoon electricity to neighboring countries. NEA has also continued its exports to India, ramping up power delivery to multiple states:
- To Haryana: Nepal has been exporting electricity since June 1, starting with 185 MW, which increased to 200 MW on June 8. The agreed selling rate is 5.25 Indian rupees per unit.
- To Bihar: Beginning from midnight on June 15, NEA started exporting 80 MW of electricity.
In addition, surplus electricity is being traded on the Indian Energy Exchange through the Dhalkebar–Muzaffarpur 400 kV and 132 kV transmission lines.
With the onset of the rainy season boosting hydropower output, these cross-border electricity sales have positioned Nepal as a rising energy exporter in the region.
