Nepal, India finalise modalities for cross-border transmission lines

KATHMANDU:  Nepal and India have finalised the modalities for constructing cross-border transmission lines, following a secretarial-level meeting between the relevant ministries of both countries in New Delhi, India, on Tuesday.

The transmission line is crucial for exporting 15,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity from Nepal to India and Bangladesh by 2035.

Suresh Acharya, Secretary at Nepal’s Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, and Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary at the Indian Ministry of Power, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), paving the way for the construction process to commence.

In November 2024, Dipak Khadka, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, had discussed the transmission line with Indian ministries, referencing a power trade agreement between Nepal and India to export 10,000MW of electricity to India over the next decade.

The 12th meeting of the Joint Steering Committee (secretarial level) convened on January 22 this year to advance the construction process. Both parties agreed to facilitate power trade and expedite the construction of the cross-country transmission line.

By RSS