बंगलादेशमा विद्युत् निर्यात पुनः सुरु, वार्षिक आम्दानी १ अर्ब ४३ करोड अपेक्षितNepal Resumes Power Export to Bangladesh, Annual Earnings Projected at Rs 1.43 Billion

Nepal resumed electricity exports to Bangladesh from Monday, with the Nepal Electricity Authority dispatching 40 megawatts of power generated from the Trishuli and Chilime hydropower plants through India's transmission infrastructure.

Under a trilateral agreement signed last year between Nepal, India and Bangladesh, Nepal is permitted to sell electricity to Bangladesh for five months annually — from June 15 to November 15. The approval, granted on Kartik 30, 2081, remains valid until October 2029.

Of the total 40 megawatts being exported, 18.60 megawatts comes from the Trishuli hydropower plant and the remaining 21.40 megawatts from Chilime. Since no direct transmission line connects Nepal and Bangladesh, India's grid continues to serve as the essential corridor for this cross-border trade.

Bangladesh had expressed interest in importing an additional 20 megawatts this year, but the expansion has stalled as India is yet to grant the necessary transit and trade approvals. The seventh meeting of the Nepal-Bangladesh Joint Steering Committee at the energy secretary level had already reached a consensus on the additional 20 megawatts, yet the formal process remains incomplete.

Financially, the export has proven increasingly rewarding for Nepal. Last year, Nepal exported approximately 147 gigawatt-hours of electricity over the five-month window, earning 9.43 million US dollars at a rate of 6.40 US cents per unit. This year, with the dollar exchange rate having risen, the same volume of exports is estimated to bring in around Rs 1.43 billion.

The broader picture of Nepal's power trade tells an encouraging story. From Shrawan to Chaitra of the current fiscal year, Nepal earned Rs 20 billion 410 million from electricity sales to India and Bangladesh combined, while spending only Rs 7.39 billion on power imports during the same period. In just the first five months — Shrawan through Mangsir — Nepal exported 2,714 gigawatt-hours, a figure 38 percent higher than the same period the previous year.

Nepal's total installed generation capacity has now reached approximately 4,300 megawatts. The government has set a target of adding a further 1,040 megawatts in the coming fiscal year, which would push total capacity beyond the 5,500 megawatt mark. If that target is met and Bangladesh's pending request for an additional 20 megawatts receives Indian transit clearance, Nepal's electricity exports to Bangladesh alone could climb to 60 megawatts — an outcome that energy analysts say would benefit both nations considerably.