Electricity Demand Increases By 16 Percent
May 2, 2022 | Investopaper
Electricity consumption has increased by about 16 percent in the current fiscal year. According to Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), peak demand has increased by 15.98 percent this year as compared to last year. The peak demand increased by 274 MW last Thursday (Baisakh 15) as compared to the same period last year. The demand for electricity was 1715 MW on last Thursday. On the same day of the previous year, the electricity demand stood at 1441 MW.
Demand seems to have increased due to the improvement in the nature of consumer consumption, promotion of electric vehicles, induction cookers and other sectors by the government and NEA. NEA has imported 20 electric vehicles with the objective of increasing electricity consumption and is constructing 50 charging stations in different parts of the country.
NEA has been strengthening transmission and distribution lines, substations and transformers and increasing capacity to increase consumption as per the demand. In 2078 BS alone, NEA has completed construction of 13 substations and brought them into operation.
In terms of production, 496 MW was generated from NEA’s power house, 377 MW from its subsidiary, 335 MW from private sector and 208 MW was imported from India. During the same period last year, 440 MW was generated from NEA’s power house, 35 MW from subsidiary companies, 179 MW from private sector and 786 MW was imported from India.
It is estimated that the demand will increase to 2,000 MW by the end of this year. The government has been saying that increasing domestic consumption by providing reliable and quality electricity to the consumers has been the first priority.
