NEA's new grid connection agreement clause.

I just came across with a new grid connection agreement clause. This clause is effective from 22^nd June, 2014. I was not aware of this clause until yesterday. I will read out the exact lines.

Chinese presence in Nepal

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s recent Nepal visit has sent alarm bells ringing in the corridors of power in New Delhi. While in Kathmandu, Yi announced a five-fold increase in official Chinese aid to Nepal, from US $24 million today to US $128 million by 2015-16.

New Foreign Investment Policy.

The Government of Nepal (GoN) is preparing to provide housing facility for investors investing more than US 1 million for the tenor of project operation. Such facility will be borne by Government of Nepal. To encourage foreign investment in the country, Department of Industry (DOI) has decided to add such provision in the foreign investment policy.

Energy pact ushers in a ‘new era’

KATHMANDU, NOV 29 - The Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Saarc CCI) on Friday described the signing of the Saarc energy pact as the commencement of a new era which would not only light up South Asia but also energize the whole region if it was implemented in both letter and spirit.

Statement by the United States of America at the 18th SAARC Summit

Honorable Prime Minister Koirala, Excellencies, Distinguished Colleagues, it is a pleasure to be here today representing the United States of America at the 18th Summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit. Let me begin by congratulating the Government of Nepal and Secretary General Thapa for a tremendous job organizing this Summit and for extending such wonderful hospitality to us all.

CG invests in Mid-Modi hydropower project

One of the largest industrial houses of Nepal, Chaudhary Group, is all set to invest in hydropower development as well. 

Infrastructure Summit 2014: synopsis

KATHMANDU, NOV 13 - Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Yuba Raj Khatiwada said on Wednesday that the country’s private sector could generate resources through public limited companies to invest in the infrastructure sector.

PDA talks for Arun III hydel project begin

KATHMANDU, NOV 05 - Project Development Agreement (PDA) negotiation for Arun III hydropower project started in Kathmandu on Tuesday. The talks between Investment Board Nepal (IBN) and India’s Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited will continue on Wednesday.

Chaudhary urges foreigners to invest in Nepal

President of Chaudhary Group Binod Chaudhary has urged international business leaders to invest in Nepal saying there is a high return in Nepal with minor risks. 

Italy keen to invest in Nepal: Minister Vendova

KATHMANDU, Oct 27: Visiting Italian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Benedetto Della Vedova has said Italian investors are keen to invest in various sectors, including hydropower, in Nepal.

Five-bank consortium pledges Rs 1.2 billion

KATHMANDU, OCT 29 - A consortium of five banks and financial institutions (BFIs) led by Nepal Bangladesh Bank (NB Bank) have pledged financing to the 10.6 MW Balefikhola Hydropower Project.

Nepalese developers are moving towards 25 MW.

The involvement of Nepalese private sector in hydropower generation is not so long ago. They were mainly involved in constructing micro and small scale hydropower. The largest hydropower project constructed through Nepalese investment is Chilime hydropower. The installed capacity is 22.1 MW.

PTA signed. What next?

The signing of Power Trade Agreement (PTA) between Indian and Nepal is considered to be a historic moment. Both countries have shown flexibility from each side to make this deal happen. To be more specific, the Modi government showed flexibility towards signing of PTA. The controversial demand of “generation” by Indians only was dropped by the Modi’s government which not only protects the sovereign right of Nepal but also shows that Indian’s willingness to do business with Nepal in a respectful manner.

More German Investment In Nepal’s Hydropower Likely

KATHMANDU, Oct 23 — Nepal is likely to witness significant German investment in its hydropower sector as the recently signed power trade agreement (PTA) between Nepal and India has guaranteed export of Nepal’s electricity to India without hassles and restriction.

Nepal, India sign PTA

KATHMANDU, OCT 21 - Nepal and India have finally signed on the Power Trade Agreement (PTA) that was reached between the two countries couple of months ago.

Khare Khola Hydropower Project signs loan deal.

KATHMANDU, Oct 22: A consortium of 10 commercial banks led by Machhapuchchhre Bank Ltd is financing Khare Khola Hydropower Project (KKHP).

Opportunity from India and Bangladesh prompting Nepal to enlarge its power picture.

Backed by new power trade opportunities in SAARC region, Himalayan country Nepal, with its sky high Hydropower potential, is taking ambitious power plans to have high augmentation in its generation capacity as well as cross border evacuation routes.

Proparco looking for investment prospects in Nepal

Kathmandu, Oct 11:- Encouraged by political stability in Nepal and the recent power trade agreement with India, Proparco, a subsidiary of the French Development Agency, has started consultations with Nepali private companies for debt and equity investment.

Upper Solu signs Rs 3 billion loan deal with consortium

KATHMANDU, SEP 29 - A consortium of eight commercial banks and Hydroelectric Investment and Development Company Ltd (HIDCL) has pledged loans amounting to Rs 3.07 billion to develop the 23.5 MW Solu Hydroelectric Project.

Cabinet endorses PTA, PDA

A Cabinet meeting on Thursday endorsed the power trade agreement (PTA) that Nepal and India recently initialed, and the amended project development agreement for the 900 megawatt Upper Karnali Hydropower Project.

Project financing in Nepal

The Nepalese economy has seen surplus liquidity in the recent years.  Banks and financial institutions (BFIs) are currently sitting on a big pile of cash due to a heavy increase in deposit mobilization without much expansion in loan advancement. According to the first nine-month data released in the Economic Survey 13/14, deposit collected by BFIs stood at NPR 1,398.9 billion while the lending was NPR 1,095.4 billion. The large amount of loanable money is idle.

Indian Energy Exchange gears up for cross border power trade

In a move that would boost cross border exchange of electricity, country’s largest power bourse IEX expects to have participants from neighbouring Bangladesh and Nepal trading on its platform in the “next few months”.

Power Trade Agreement Between India & Nepal

AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF NEPAL AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA ON ELECTRIC POWER TRADE, CROSS-BORDER TRANSMISSION INTERCONNECTION AND GRID CONNECTIVITY

Nepal, India ink PTA

KATHMANDU, Sept 4:Nepal and India on Thursday signed a 25-year agreement on power trading, cross-border transmission line and grid connectivity. 

Army to invest in hydro if legal hurdles removed

The Nepal Army (NA) said that it would be willing to invest money from its welfare fund in the hydropower sector if legal barriers were removed.

Power tariff likely to go up before Dashain

KATHMANDU, AUG 30 - Power charges could go up before the Dashain festival in October as the Electricity Tariff Fixation Committee (ETFC) is likely to okay the Nepal Electricity Authority’s (NEA) proposal to hike the tariff.

A quick guide for hydropower investors in Nepal

The next big thing in Nepali capital market and overall economy is hydropower. The new entrants in Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) are mostly hydropower companies. There will be at least 16 hydropower companies within two years. Currently, there are 6 listed hydropower companies in NEPSE.

Upper Tamakoshi IPO

Below is an interesting article published by ShareSansar regarding the prior allotment of the shares. I will write the details about Upper tamkoshi project, its financials & technical part, future plans and early verdict of share price in the days to come. But for now, go through the following article.

Panel for signing PDA with GMR

A technical committee formed to review the document of the Power Development Agreement (PDA) between the Investment Board of Nepal (IBN) and India’s GMR-ITD Consortium to develop the 900MW Upper Karnali Hydropower Project has recommended signing the agreement with a few revisions in the document.

US hopes Nepal-India PTA & PDA will be signed soon

The ambassador of the United States of America H.E. Peter Bodde called on Prime Minister Sushil Koirala at the latter's residence in Baluatar, Kathmandu, August 22, 2014.

HIDCL launches long-term wholesale loan for banks

The Hydroelectricity Investment and Development Company Limited (HIDCL) has introduced long-term wholesale loan and refinancing for commercial banks looking for investment in hydropower projects.

Indian envoy meets Nepal, seeks support for inking PTA and PDA

Reports have it that with the possibility of signing PTA (Power Trade Agreement) and Upper Karnali PDA (Project Development Agreement) with India in the near future getting distanced as hoped by Indian PM Narendra Modi in his freshly concluded Nepal trip, the Indian Ambassador Ranjit Ray has sought help from the UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal to get the job done. Very difficult!

Unbundling of NEA is necessary

The project cost of 30 MW Chameliya Hydropower Project is increased to NPR 15.06 billion. The construction of this project was started in mid-January 2008. It was originally scheduled to be completed by mid-June 2011. But the completion date was pushed back by two years until mid-September, 2013 after delays in construction.

Sunkoshi Landslide: Aftermath and Opportunity

On August 2, a massive landslide hit Mankha VDC of Sindhupalchok district. This landslide which occurred on Sunkoshi river wiped out the entire village and took so many lives. It blocked the river and created a dam with the formation of a large lake. The landslide is considered to be one of the most disastrous natural calamities to hit the country in more than a decade.

As they please – Energy pricing

Nepal Electricity Authority procures black file-cases that cost peanuts at market price. But purchase of billions of rupees worth of electricity from developers is decided without any market price assessment. Moreover, vital information on Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) is never made public. This underhand practice has been taking place for the last 30 years. 

ADB ready to facilitate Nepal-India power trading

Asian Development Bank (ADB) today said it is ready to help Nepal in developing its hydropower generation capacity and also offered to play the role of a facilitator in power trading, especially with India.

IPO of Barun Hydropower Company Limited

Barun Hydropower Company Limited is the next hydropower company that is going to be listed in Nepal Stock Exchange. The company has already floated 10% of the issued capital to project affected area, a mandatory requirement of Nepal government. It was oversubscribed by two times. Now, 20 percent of the total issued capital will be offered to general public, i.e. IPO. Civil Capital Market Ltd. is the issue manager. Here is my sincere opinions regarding the company, project and speculated share price when listed in Nepal Stock Exchange.

Developments after Modi’s visit to Nepal

Hydropower was one of the main agendas of Modi’s visit to Nepal. A week has gone by since Modi’s visited Nepal. So what are the progresses so far? Below is the synopsis.

Nepal has no intention to sign umbrella agreement sent by India.

PPA in US dollar is again a hot debate

Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has expressed its interest to sign PPA in dollars if it is allowed to hike the retail tariff in order to balance the foreign exchange risk.

Dividend policy to make hydropower projects more profitable.

Investors, unlike previous years, are gradually shifting their focus towards the hydropower sector as it has become more lucrative in terms of dividends compared to banks and financial institutions.

India to let Bangladesh use its territory for power import from Nepal

India has given its assent to allow Bangladesh to import electricity from Nepal through its territory, said state minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid.

India and China vying for energy resources in Nepal

With his two-day trip to Nepal, Narendra Modi became the first Indian PM to visit the neighboring country in 17 years. But was the trip, aimed at boosting ties, enough to counter China’s growing influence? DW examines.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Nepal: The outcomes

Modi’s visit made an important mark in Nepal’s history. He has spoken and done a lot to warm and win Nepali hearts to take the relations to a new height. In the speech, considered by the speech-maker as respect to 1.2 billion Indians, Modi encouraged Nepal to become a powerful nation by developing its huge potentials in hydropower, tourism, herbal medicines, and so on.

Narendra Modi's Nepal visit to boost hydropower, infrastructure cooperation: Observers

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Nepal next month is expected to boost cooperation in hydropower and infrastructure sectors between India and the Himalayan nation, said observers here even as visiting Nepalese Commerce Minister Sunil Bahadur Thapa Wednesday expressed his country's keenness to learn from Modi's development model.

Power Trade Agreement and Nepal's preparation for Narendra Modi's visit.

 The visit by Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj ended without a concrete conclusion in regards to Nepal’s hydro. However, the visit helped to create a foundation for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Nepal that is being scheduled on 3rd of August, 2014.

India willing to purchase power at ‘market rate’

India has said that it is willing to purchase excess electricity from Nepal at the market rate, as trade in power between the two countries would create a win-win situation for both.

The next upcoming IPO: Api Power Company Limited.

Api Power Company Limited will be the next private hydropower company to float its public share. It is constructing an 8.5 MW project in Darchula district. Here is my sincere opinion regarding the Company, its projects, its future plans and projected share price when listed in Nepal Stock Exchange.

Hydel proposal win-win for Nepal, India: Ranjit Rae

Indian Ambassador Ranjit Rae today said India’s draft proposal on “Cooperation in Power Sector” was not meant to control Nepal’s water resources, but to create a “win-win situation” for both to utilise Nepal’s huge hydel potential for mutual benefit.

'Energy cooperation proposal not against Nepal's interest'

It is no secret that Nepal has a huge hydropower potential. But due to geographic location, Nepal has no other options than to join hands with our ever energy hungry neighbour, India. There has been lot of remarks regarding the “energy cooperation” from both countries. And the construction of various transmission lines to evacuate power to India shows that the two countries are serious about power trading.

Ridi Hydropower Development Company Limited and its share price speculation.

The newly listed hydropower company in Nepal Stock Exchange is Ridi Hydropower Development Company Limited. Ridi Hydropower Development Company Limited owns a 2.4 MW project in Palpa district. The project is generating electricity at the moment.

Discovery of Uranium could change Nepal’s energy scenario: experts

A team from the Department of Mines and Geology (DoMG) has found a large deposit of uranium in Upper Mustang in Nepal, which borders China, when carrying out a ground radiometric survey for the material in the region.

Hydropower gets a huge boost with unveiling of this year budget.

This year budget was unveiled yesterday and hydropower tops the list. Presenting the budget in parliament, Finance minister unveiled plan to completely end load-shedding after three years. According to the budget , the government-owned Upper Tamakoshi, Kulekhani III, Chameliya and Upper Trishuli will be adding 560 MW of electricity within three years while 42 projects being initiated by the private sector will bring in another 628 MW. Here are the outline of this year budget for energy sector.