Nepal earned more than Rs 5.92 billion from electricity exports to India in Ashoj, as power shipments increased despite disruptions caused by the August 26 flash floods that damaged hydropower infrastructure.

According to the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Nepal supplied more than 630 million units of electricity to India during Ashoj, covering the period from mid-September to mid-October. The exports generated revenue of over Rs 5.92 billion.

NEA Executive Director Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha said electricity export earnings increased in Ashoj, although power supply had been disrupted for some time following the floods. Nearly two-thirds of the total cross-border electricity supply was delivered under bilateral agreements, according to the information provided by the authority.

Power exports rebounded in Ashoj despite flood-related disruptions to hydropower generation, while Nepal also resumed supplying 40 MW of electricity to Bangladesh through India’s transmission network.

The August 26 flash floods affected hydropower production and temporarily disrupted Nepal’s electricity exports. The disaster damaged the Trishuli and Chilime hydropower plants, which had been authorised to supply electricity to Bangladesh.

Despite these setbacks, Nepal’s electricity exports to India increased in Ashoj, generating substantial revenue from cross-border power trade. The export earnings highlight the growing importance of electricity sales to India as a source of foreign income for Nepal, particularly during periods when domestic generation exceeds demand.

Meanwhile, Nepal has resumed exporting 40 megawatts (MW) of electricity to Bangladesh through India’s transmission network. The supply resumed last Friday after being suspended following the August 26 flash floods, which damaged the hydropower plants designated to supply electricity to Bangladesh.

The resumption restores Nepal’s electricity exports to a third-country market through India’s transmission infrastructure, extending the regional reach of Nepal’s hydropower trade.

Nepal’s electricity exports to both India and Bangladesh demonstrate the potential of hydropower to generate export revenue. However, flood-related damage also underscores the vulnerability of electricity generation and cross-border supply to climate-related disasters and infrastructure disruptions.