India
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Nepal floods halve India's power imports to 400 MW
The Indian Express··28 Aug
Nepal's flash floods have cut its electricity supply to India by half, from around 800 megawatts to at least 400 MW, an Indian official said. The 14-MW Devighat hydropower plant, which supplies India, was among the affected units. Nepal's Energy Ministry said 13 hydroelectric plants and a solar plant were hit, affecting nearly 359 MW of capacity.
Prism
What It Means For You
- A halved power supply from Nepal could tighten electricity availability in Indian grid regions that rely on monsoon-season hydro imports, particularly if the shortfall persists.
- Bangladesh also draws power from the affected Chilime and Trisuli plants, meaning the disruption's effects extend beyond India's grid.
- Grid India and the Ministry of Power have not yet detailed how the shortfall will be managed, leaving the near-term supply picture unclear.
What's Happening
- Nepal's Energy Ministry said around 13 hydroelectric plants and one solar plant were affected by the floods, cutting nearly 359 MW of mostly hydro capacity.
- In Rasuwa district, projects including Upper Trishuli-1 at 216 MW and Rasuwagadhi at 111 MW were among those hit.
- India imported electricity from Nepal at a peak of 963.4 MW on August 26, the day the flash floods struck, according to Grid India data.
Nepal's Seasonal Power Trade
- Hydropower makes up the bulk of Nepal's roughly 4,300 MW total installed electricity generation capacity.
- Nepal exports surplus power to India during the monsoon and imports electricity in the dry winter months when its own hydropower generation falls.
- The floods were triggered by a glacier collapse in the Himalayan region straddling the Nepal-Tibet border.
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