Widespread Power Outage Raises Load-Shedding Concerns, NEA Assures “No Such Situation”

On Thursday evening around 6 PM, power was cut off for two to three hours in Kathmandu and several other parts of the country, frustrating many citizens. However, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) clarified that the outage was due to a technical issue caused by a natural disaster, not the return of load-shedding.

NEA Managing Director Hitendra Dev Shakya explained that a strong windstorm knocked down a tree, disrupting the Dhalkeber-Muzaffarpur transmission line, while the Birgunj West transmission line also failed around the same time, causing the blackout. In a press conference on Friday, he acknowledged that the incident created fear and confusion among the public, but reiterated that it had nothing to do with load-shedding.

When asked about the possibility of load-shedding returning, Shakya responded,

“Where is load-shedding? In fact, we are trying to reduce even industrial load-shedding by importing electricity from India if necessary.”

He noted that the dry season (from mid-January to mid-June) is a particularly difficult time for Nepal’s energy sector, making Indian electricity imports crucial during this period.

Shakya emphasized the need to improve the NEA’s infrastructure to prevent future disruptions. He pointed out that similar issues occurred last year during the same period, leading to the formation of a dedicated committee. According to him, the real issue is that while power generation has increased, transmission line development has not kept pace.

Why Load-Shedding Is Unlikely to Return

An energy expert and former head of NEA’s Load Dispatch Center, Suresh Bahadur Bhattarai, told BBC Nepali that load-shedding in residential areas is now highly unlikely, regardless of who leads the NEA.

“Even during dry seasons, Nepal’s electricity is sufficient to meet household demand. Our energy sector has reached that level now,” said Bhattarai.

NEA spokesperson Raj Bhai Shilpakar told the BBC that Thursday’s outage was a purely technical issue that was resolved quickly.

“Just because the lights go out, doesn’t mean it’s load-shedding,” Shilpakar clarified. “In fact, we’re now preparing to export electricity in the coming weeks.”

Electricity Production vs. Demand

Nepal currently produces between 1,200 to 1,300 megawatts of electricity daily.
However, officials say daily demand can reach up to 2,000 megawatts during peak times.

According to Shilpakar, during peak hours, NEA projects generate about 460 MW, NEA-promoted projects generate 480 MW, and Independent Power Producers (IPPs) contribute around 750 MW.

“During Thursday’s peak hour, we were importing just 55 MW from India. But on April 13, for instance, we imported up to 689 MW in 24 hours,” he said.

During high-demand periods, India restricts electricity exports, and Nepal manages the gap using reservoir-based hydropower plants like Kulekhani.

Though projects like Upper Tamakoshi are run-of-river, they can temporarily store water for increased output during peak hours.

Why Supply Problems Persist

Nepal’s national grid currently has a total installed capacity of over 3,500 MW, but actual production during dry seasons is about one-third less.

To manage the shortfall, imports from India are used. When that’s not possible, load-shedding occurs in industrial sectors.

Bhattarai explained that managing electricity load becomes more challenging during summer, as demand increases and natural disasters become more frequent.

“When the Dhalkeber-Muzaffarpur line went down suddenly on Thursday, there was no alternative source available immediately, causing a system failure,” he said.

Still, he agreed that this should not be labeled as load-shedding.

“Sometimes technical issues may interrupt supply, but deliberate load-shedding for homes is no longer possible — no matter who runs the NEA.”

Challenges in Meeting Demand

Bhattarai pointed out that some independent power producers are unable to deliver even their minimum committed supply during dry months — largely due to climatic and environmental factors rather than management issues.

“If we had two or three major plants like Tamakoshi, we could have managed Thursday’s situation easily,” he said.

Due to high electricity prices during peak hours, many industries prefer not to operate during those times, even when power is available.

Officials also noted that this is a low-production season, and many plants are currently undergoing maintenance in preparation for the monsoon season, when they are expected to run at full capacity.

Despite the setbacks, NEA has remained profitable for eight consecutive years, and the government is planning further investment in hydropower infrastructure.

“What we really need now are large-scale plants like Tamakoshi that can bear the peak load — but such projects are unlikely to be operational for at least the next 8–10 years,” said Bhattarai.

He added that while Nepal’s total installed capacity is high, only a few projects — like Kulekhani, Kaligandaki, Tamakoshi, and Marshyangdi — currently handle most of the peak hour load.

“I’ve seen IPP plants with 25 MW capacity producing just 3 MW during dry seasons,” he said.
“But projects like Tamakoshi (456 MW), Kaligandaki (144 MW), Trishuli (60 MW), and Marshyangdi (70 MW) run at full capacity during peak hours, and these are the kind of plants we need to ensure stable power flow.”