Floods and Landslides Damage 20 Hydropower Plants, Disrupt Power Supply in Nepal

At least 20 hydropower plants have sustained significant damages due to floods and landslides triggered by incessant rainfall over the past two days, disrupting power supply across Nepal. The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), which was exporting over 500 MW of electricity to India daily, now has to import 300 MW from India to meet domestic demand, according to NEA Spokesperson Chandan Kumar Ghosh.

Last week, Nepal produced around 3,000 MW of electricity, but recent natural disasters have reduced the output to just 1,300 MW. The Independent Power Producers' Association of Nepal (IPPAN) reported that 15 power projects, with a combined capacity of 1,177 MW, have been completely halted since Saturday, causing an estimated Rs 2.31 billion in damages.

Among the damaged projects are the 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi, 86 MW Solu Dudh Koshi, 22 MW Mandu, and 14.9 MW Hewa Khola. The disasters have also affected the physical infrastructure of several projects, including the 216 MW Upper Trishuli-1 and 216 MW Upper Trishuli-2, which is under construction.

Transmission lines have also been heavily impacted, with the Khimti-Lamosangu line suffering significant damage as Tower No 7 was swept away by floodwaters, disrupting power supply to Kathmandu. The floods have also damaged the Solu Corridor and Koshi Corridor transmission lines, as well as infrastructure along the Damak-Godak route.

Efforts are underway to restore power and repair the damages, but the extent of destruction has severely strained Nepal's energy supply.