Kathmandu. Ippan Developers Meet-2025 organized by Independent Energy Producers Association, Nepal (IPPAN) concluded today.
Officials of the Ministry of Energy and related agencies and representatives of the private sector active in energy production and development gathered at one place to give a live interview on the opportunities and solutions organized in collaboration with MAW Group. Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Deepak Khadka, Energy Secretary Suresh Acharya, Director General of The Department of Power Development Nabin Singh and Executive Director of Nepal Electricity Authority Hitendra Dev Shakya were present at the meeting.
The promoters of the private sector had demanded a separate act and a powerful commission to implement the 28,500 MW energy development roadmap put forward by the government, involve the private sector in power trade and transmission lines, and fix the wheeling charge of the transmission line. In addition, they have been asked to open power purchase agreements (PPAs) unconditionally, facilitate power wasted projects due to lack of transmission lines, provide relief by removing the projects facing problems due to the contingency of the Electricity Authority, extend the deadline of the project’s last trading date (RCOD) and license for various reasons, end the monopoly of the Electricity Authority, arrange online in the energy sector agencies to facilitate service delivery. They demanded relief to the projects constructed due to external reasons. Stating that economic prosperity can be achieved in the country through the cooperation of the government and the private sector, officials including the Energy Minister said that the private sector should be active to solve the problems raised by the hydropower promoters and to meet the target of producing an additional 25,000 MW in the next 10 years. Stating that the government has taken serious note of the problems put forward by the private sector, they said that the government would create an appropriate environment to achieve the goal by resolving the problems.
Minister Khadka said that the energy development roadmap has addressed most of the problems of most of the private sector and other demands would also be addressed within the next one month. “We have been working day and night to take forward the electricity bill which is being brought to address the problems of the private sector and it will be passed by the parliament within a month,” he said, adding, “The energy roadmap has also been implemented. ’
Minister Khadka said that the issues of the energy sector are not only the problems of the developers but also the problems of the country. “If we move ahead by amending the old mentality and old laws, the energy roadmap will be implemented and the goal will also be achieved,” he said.
Minister Khadka said that the government has included it in the action plan as there was no opposition to the report of issuing shares to the general public only after the completion of the construction of the hydropower project.
Energy Secretary Suresh Acharya said that various taskforces and various other sub-committees have been formed for the implementation of the energy development roadmap brought by the government. He informed that the draft for the wheeling charge of the transmission line has been prepared and will be finalized soon.
Director General of the Department of Power Development, Nabin Raj Singh, said that the government has already started involving the private sector in the construction of transmission lines. He said the government was working to solve the problems of the private sector.
Executive Director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Shakya said that the government has recently forwarded the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to implement the Energy Development Roadmap. He said the private sector should go for construction as there was a shortage of budget for the transmission line and arrangements should be made to sell the rainy electricity to the private sector to open more PPAs.
IPPAN Chairman Ganesh Karki said that although the private sector has been active in energy production with great struggle, there are problems like PPA, hydrology penalty, extension of RCOD deadline and slow implementation of energy roadmap in recent times.
Ippan Senior Vice-President Mohan Dangi said that energy is the main basis of the country’s economic prosperity and the government should take it seriously and move forward.
