Nepal Stops Electricity Exports to Bangladesh After Floods

Nepal has halted electricity exports to Bangladesh after devastating floods damaged two hydropower projects supplying power to the country.

The August 26 flash floods in the Bhotekoshi river system caused extensive damage to hydropower infrastructure and other facilities in Nepal.

The two projects authorised to supply electricity to Bangladesh — the 22.1-megawatt Chilime Hydropower Project and the 24-megawatt Trishuli Hydropower Project — have suspended generation following the flooding.

Nepal had recently started exporting electricity to Bangladesh through the Indian power grid under a tripartite arrangement involving Nepal, India and Bangladesh. The power was being supplied during the monsoon season, when Nepal typically generates a surplus from its hydropower plants.

“Both projects supplying electricity to Bangladesh have been damaged, so we have asked India to allow electricity from another project to be sent as an alternative,” said Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha, acting managing director of the Nepal Electricity Authority.

For now, however, electricity exports to Bangladesh have effectively fallen to zero.

The floods have also disrupted power generation from several other hydropower projects. Twelve projects have stopped generating electricity, while Nepal’s overall electricity exports have fallen to around 650 MW from an average of about 1,000 MW during the wet season.

Chilime had approval to export 21.4 MW and Trishuli 18.6 MW to India, with the electricity subsequently transmitted to Bangladesh through the Indian grid.

Nepal has emerged as a regional electricity exporter in recent years after expanding its hydropower generation capacity. During the dry winter months, however, the country still imports electricity from India to meet domestic demand.

Nepal exported electricity worth 29.32 billion Nepali rupees to India and Bangladesh in the 2025–26 fiscal year, while it imported power worth 10.23 billion rupees from India during the dry season.

The Nepal Electricity Authority is now working to restore damaged generation and transmission infrastructure while seeking Indian approval to route electricity from alternative hydropower projects to Bangladesh.