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The government has unveiled clear timelines for the construction of high-capacity transmission lines aimed at delivering generated electricity to major load centers and selling surplus energy in regional and sub-regional markets. The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation made transmission infrastructure expansion a priority while publishing the Electricity Consumption Growth and Energy Export Strategy, 2025.

According to the strategy, the long-delayed Hetauda-Dhalkebar section of the Hetauda-Dhalkebar-Inaruwa transmission line is targeted for completion by the end of the current fiscal year. The Dhalkebar-Inaruwa section has already been completed. The project, which faced delays due to tree felling, forest land use approvals, and compensation disputes, will now be accelerated after resolving these issues. The Nepal Electricity Authority has been assigned responsibility for implementation.

Similarly, the new Khimti-Barhabise-Kathmandu 400 kV transmission line is scheduled for completion by fiscal year 2028/29, while the Hetauda-Ratmate-Lapsiphedi-New Damauli-New Butwal line is planned for completion by 2030/31. The New Butwal-Lamahi line is set for completion by 2031/32, while the Lamahi-Chhinchu-Dododhara and Kimathanka-Haitar-Sitalpati lines are expected to finish by 2033/34.

Likewise, the Arun Hub-Inaruwa, Inaruwa-Anarmani, Phukot-Betan-Dododhara, and Tingla-Dudhkoshi-Dhalkebar transmission lines are targeted for completion by 2034/35. The Bheri and Seti Corridor transmission lines will also be completed during the same period, while the Dododhara-Attariya-Lamki line is scheduled for completion by 2035/36. All of these lines will have a capacity of 400 kV.

The government has also prioritized cross-border transmission lines. The Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur line is targeted for completion by 2026/27, while the Butwal-Gorakhpur, Nanpara-Nepalgunj, Inaruwa-Purnia, Lamki-Bareilly, Lamahi-Lucknow, Nijgadh-Motihari, Chameliya-Jauljibi, and Chilime-Kerung lines are also listed as priorities.

The strategy emphasizes increasing domestic electricity consumption through smart grid development, substation modernization, and capacity expansion. It aims to raise substation capacity to 40,000 MVA by 2036/37. It also proposes expanding underground distribution systems by 2028, gradually removing subsidies on LPG gas, and promoting electric stoves.

Plans also include expanding agricultural electrification by extending feeders to farmlands, building a nationwide EV charging station network, and increasing electricity demand through electric buses and trolley buses in major cities.

Nepal’s installed electricity capacity has now reached around 4,086 MW, while grid expansion has brought electricity access to nearly 98 percent of the population. Nepal has set a net-zero carbon emission target by 2045 and plans to reduce dependence on fossil fuels while increasing domestic electricity use.

Nepal has already signed a long-term agreement with India to export 10,000 MW of electricity over the next 10 years. Currently, around 1,200 MW of electricity is being imported and exported with India and Bangladesh.

Jalasarokar