National power grid opens to private players
Summary
Nepal has opened its national electricity transmission grid to private players, allowing power producers and consumers to use existing infrastructure by paying wheeling charges. The move is meant to bring the private sector into electricity trading and expand open access to the grid.
Key Points
- The Electricity Regulatory Commission has announced transmission charges that allow private parties to use the national grid under an open access system.
- For short-term users, the wheeling charge has been fixed at 57 paisa per kilowatt hour, based on projected load and revenue requirements.
- The mechanism lets private companies participate in electricity transactions without owning transmission infrastructure, while the NEA remains the operator of the grid.
- The new arrangement does not change legal restrictions that prevent private firms from building and operating major national transmission corridors.
