Demand for electricity in the domestic market has increased significantly due to effective policies and practical action plans. It has been found that the demand for electricity has increased at an average rate of 20 per cent every year.
The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has stated that the steps taken to increase the electricity consumption and the internal demand for electricity have increased exponentially with the onset of winter. According to the data provided by NEA, the peak demand for electricity has increased by an average of 300 MW this year as compared to last year. Work is being done accordingly with the policy of increasing the use of electronic equipment and providing the required amount of electricity to the industry to increase the consumption as the electricity generated internally cannot be consumed.
Although the process of construction of charging stations has not been taken forward by the government, the private sector is constructing charging stations on its own initiative. That has led to an increase in electric vehicles as well.
Electricity has been provided to the big industries as per the demand. Production capacity has increased due to the industry getting enough electricity. Consumption is increasing on a daily basis. NEA has provided 30 MW of electricity to Hongshi, the country's largest cement industry, since the last week of November. Another Chinese-invested Huasin cement industry has also added 20 MW of electricity.
Demand for electricity is increasing both in capacity (MW) and energy (units). For example, on November 12, the high demand for electricity in the system was 1,539 MW. The demand for the same day last year was 1,217 MW. This is 322 MW more than last year. On this basis, peak demand for electricity has increased by 26.5 percent as compared to the same day last year. In order to meet the peak demand of the system, 540 MW was imported from NEA's power house, 529 MW from NEA's subsidiary's power house, 425 MW from private sector power house and 25 MW from India. On the same day, 4 MW of electricity was also exported to India during peak hours.
Demand for electricity has also skyrocketed in the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding areas. The maximum demand for electricity in Kathmandu Valley has increased by an average of 90 MW. The peak demand of Kathmandu Valley, which was 293 MW last year, has reached 382 MW this year. This has also significantly increased the demand for electricity in the Kathmandu Valley. The use of electric stoves has increased in the valley. Based on the demand for energy, the electricity consumption was 27.2 million units on November 12. This consumption is 6.1 million units' more than 21.1 million units on the same day last year. On the basis of energy, electricity consumption is 28.65 percent higher than last year.
NEA Executive Director Kulman Ghising said that the increase in peak demand by 30 per cent this year as compared to last year was a great achievement. "The use of induction cookers and air conditioners in homes is increasing, the use of electric vehicles is increasing, charging stations are expanding, and demand for loads is increasing along with efforts to provide sufficient electricity in the industrial sector," he said. He informed that if the demand for electricity increases as it is now, it is expected to reach 2,000 MW by the end of the current fiscal year.
Executive Director said that the first priority is to increase the domestic consumption of electricity produced in the country by providing reliable and quality electricity to the consumers. He himself has been inspecting the main industrial corridors in the country and urging the industrialists to get as much electricity as they need. Under the NEA's short-term plan, the industries demanding electricity will be provided electricity immediately by strengthening the transmission and distribution lines and expanding the capacity and completing the work of the project under construction as soon as possible.
Under the long-term plan, NEA plans to start construction of large capacity lines and substations for transmission and distribution by identifying potential areas for increased power consumption. NEA is urging the industries that need more electricity to apply immediately by disclosing the amount. Extensive consolidation work has been carried out mainly to improve the network of power transmission and distribution system in the industrial corridor area.
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