Kathmandu: Nepal has resumed exporting 40 megawatts (MW) of electricity to Bangladesh through India’s transmission network after flood damage to two hydropower plants disrupted supplies for nearly two months.
The exports resumed on Friday evening following approval from India’s Central Electricity Authority (CEA) to use electricity generated by alternative hydropower projects, according to Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Managing Director Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha.
The August 26 Bhotekoshi flood damaged the Trishuli and Chilime hydropower plants, which had previously been designated to supply electricity to Bangladesh. The disaster also affected exports to India’s Haryana state under bilateral power sales agreements.
Under the revised arrangement, electricity generated by the Solu Khola and Kabeli B1 hydropower projects will be supplied to Bangladesh. Meanwhile, the Lower Modi Khola hydropower project has been approved to supply electricity to Haryana. These projects replace the previously designated Trishuli, Chilime and Devighat plants.
Shrestha said the resumption of exports was an important step in maintaining Nepal’s cross-border electricity trade despite damage to hydropower plants and transmission infrastructure.
Nepal and Bangladesh signed a five-year electricity sales agreement on October 3, 2024. Under the deal, Nepal supplies 40 MW of electricity to Bangladesh annually from June 15 to November 15, using India’s transmission network.
The resumption is expected to help Nepal sell surplus electricity generated during the monsoon season and strengthen regional energy cooperation.
Meanwhile, Nepal earned Rs 5.925 billion from electricity exports to India between mid-September and mid-October 2026, despite flood-related disruptions at several hydropower projects.
According to data from the NEA’s Load Dispatch Centre, Nepal exported 633.986 million units of electricity to India during the period. The earnings were Rs 962 million higher than the Rs 4.963 billion recorded during the same period last year and Rs 832.5 million more than the Rs 5.0925 billion earned between mid-August and mid-September this year.
Nepal sells electricity to India through bilateral agreements with Haryana and Bihar, as well as through competitive trading on the Indian Energy Exchange (IEX). The electricity is exported after domestic demand is met, particularly during the monsoon months when hydropower generation rises.
During the first three months of the current fiscal year 2026/27, Nepal earned a total of Rs 16.1513 billion from electricity exports.
Shrestha said around two-thirds of the electricity exported to India during the latest reporting period was sold under bilateral agreements, while the remainder was traded through the Indian Energy Exchange.
Despite flood damage to several projects, rising export earnings indicate that Nepal’s electricity trade has continued to expand, supported by alternative hydropower sources and cross-border market arrangements.
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