Floods cause Rs 74 billion damage to energy infrastructure in Nepal

Floods originating from the Bhote Koshi River on 26 August severely impacted power infrastructure across the country, causing an estimated Rs 74 billion in initial damages. The Nepal Electricity Authority stated that generation, transmission, and distribution assets belonging to the authority and its subsidiaries suffered widespread destruction, including the 220 kV hub of the Upper Trishuli-III 'B' project. The disaster disconnected 430 megawatts of electricity from the national grid, forcing eight power projects with a combined capacity of 230 megawatts to go offline. Although distribution teams and the Grid Operation Department managed to restore electricity supply to most regions, several generation plants will require additional time before resuming full operations. Recovery efforts have progressed in specific corridors, with facilities totaling 262 megawatts in the Seti-Madi corridor and 190 megawatts in the Marsyangdi corridor successfully restarting. Furthermore, the 144 megawatt Kaligandaki Hydropower Project was scheduled to resume operations by the evening of 28 September, according to utility officials. Detailed assessments of the destruction remain incomplete because blocked access routes continue to prevent inspection teams from reaching affected sites. Looking ahead to the dry season, the utility projects domestic generation to supply approximately 1,218 megawatts, necessitating electricity imports of 1,154 megawatts from India to satisfy consumer demand.