Giving momentum to current power generation growth

Nepal's electricity generation capacity has now reached 3,878 megawatts, a new record in the country's energy sector. At a press conference held to mark his one-year term in office, Energy Minister Deepak Khadka confirmed that 631 megawatts were fed into Nepal's national grid over the past year alone. This is a significant rise from the previous average of around 3,200 megawatts. The minister also reported that Nepal is selling over 800 megawatts of electricity daily to India and Bangladesh. The government has also presented a long-term plan by launching the Energy Development Roadmap 2081 to increase production to 28,500 megawatts by 2035. While 15,000 megawatts will be for export, the remaining will be used domestically. The financial requirement is estimated at $46.5 billion by the roadmap. In addition to generation, the ministry has also been developing small-scale hydropower, solar, and biogas schemes. Legislatively, all significant bills pertaining to electricity, water, and renewable energy have reached Parliament, and certain policies are already in operation. The growth of irrigation and the acquisition of about $1 billion in foreign aid show that the industry is gaining ground.