Kathmandu, Dec. 11
The Joint Steering Committee (JSC) meeting
on Nepal-India Cooperation in Power Sector has agreed to finalise the
regulatory modality to allow Nepali power producers' access to India energy
market.
India said that it would provide an outlet
for Nepal's surplus energy in the coming months.
"Both sides are close to finalising
the regulatory modality for allowing Nepali producers access to Indian power
market which will provide an outlet for Nepal's surplus power," Indian
Embassy in Kathmandu said in a statement on Friday.
The meeting has agreed to make legal and
policy reform to make the cross-border energy trade possible, said Pravin Raj
Aryal, spokesperson of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation
(MoEWRI).
As per the
agreement, feasibility study will be conducted for the construction of
Kohalpur-Lakhnow 400KV transmission line. Likewise, hydroelectricity projects
and markets would also be studied in the process, said Aryal.
Similarly, 132 KV
Kushah-Kataiya transmission line would be completed at the earliest while work
at the Nautanawa-Mainahawa transmission line would be expedited. India is also
positive to develop Kohalpur-Nanpara transmission line. Nepal had prepared a
design and sent it to India.
Both the countries reaffirmed their commitment
to further strengthening power sector cooperation which incudes development of
an integrated grid, building of more cross border transmission lines and Indian
investment in Nepal's hydro and solar power projects.
The positive and wide-ranging discussions
today are expected to further support the expansion in power sector cooperation
between India and Nepal, said the embassy.
The 8th meeting of
Joint Steering Committee and Joint Working Group (JWG) on energy started on
Thursday and concluded on Friday.
Power Secretary of India Sanjiv
Nandan Sahai and Energy Secretary of Nepal Dinesh Kumar Ghimire co-chaired the
virtual meeting on Friday. Sahai was accompanied by Indian Ambassador to Nepal
Vinay Mohan Kwatra and a 17-member delegation.
The JWG meeting was held on Thursday.
The JSC is the apex bilateral mechanism for enhancing and coordination
government-to-government undertakings in power sector.
The meeting reviews progress made at
cross-border power trade, development of energy banking mechanism, and 900 MW
Arun-III Hydroelectric Project.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 12 December 2020.
No comments:
Post a Comment