The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has announced that power cuts in industrial zones during evening peak hours will continue until the re-operation of the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project, which was damaged by floods and landslides on September 27 and 28.

NEA Managing Director Kul Man Ghising explained that managing electricity demand during winter has become challenging due to the shutdown of the 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi Project—Nepal's largest hydropower plant connected to the National Transmission Grid.

Ghising stated that power supply to industrial customers needs to be curtailed during evening peak hours due to increased electricity consumption and limited supply. However, the NEA assured that power supply to residential and other non-industrial consumers will remain unaffected.

"The run-of-the-river hydropower projects, which rely on water flow, are producing only one-third of their capacity in the winter as river levels drop significantly," Ghising said. He further added that the NEA's inability to import electricity from India during peak hours has exacerbated the power supply issue.

Repair Work Underway at Upper Tamakoshi
The repair and maintenance work at Upper Tamakoshi is progressing with a target to resume power generation by December 25. Once operational, it is expected to ease the ongoing energy deficit.

To mitigate the shortfall, NEA has secured approval from the Central Electricity Authority of India to import up to 654 MW of power daily until March 15, 2025. This includes 600 MW through the 400 kV Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur Cross-Border Transmission Line and 54 MW via the 132 kV Tanakpur-Mahendranagar Transmission Line.

Import Restrictions During Peak Hours
Despite the agreement, a key limitation remains: electricity imports are not permitted during the evening peak hours (5 PM to 9 PM), when domestic demand is at its highest. This restriction further limits NEA's ability to supply uninterrupted power to energy-intensive industrial zones.

The NEA has urged industrial customers to cooperate until Upper Tamakoshi is back in operation, emphasizing that the situation is temporary.