KATHMANDU – Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Deepak Khadka has addressed the fifth energy ministers’ level meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states.
Addressing the meeting held in Ningbo city of Zhejiang province in China today, Minister Khadka emphasized the need to create a regional framework and strengthen cooperation, and making it more effective with innovative ideas for investment promotion and energy trade, considering the population, resources, and potential of the SCO member countries.
In the meeting with the theme of ‘Integrated Innovation for Energy Future’, Minister Khadka stressed on the need for regional unity, cooperation, and collaboration among SCO member states in promoting energy development, grid connectivity, innovation, and energy security.
The Energy Minister informed the meeting that Nepal has set a target to generate 28,500 megawatts of electricity by the year 2035, and has launched plans and programmes to export 15,000 megawatts.
Currently, more than approximately 3,500 megawatts of electricity has been produced in Nepal, and work is being carried out with the plan to double this in the near future, he added.
Stating that electricity trade has already begun with neighbouring countries, Energy Minister Khadka clarified that the implementation of the trilateral energy cooperation policy has been initiated by exporting electricity to Bangladesh for the first time using India’s grid.
Expressing commitment to continuously contribute to regional energy cooperation as a dialogue partner of the SCO, he made it clear that Nepal is in favour of the development and expansion of the energy sector based on mutual collaboration and cooperation, along with the concepts of environmental balance, innovation, and sustainable development.
Minister Khadka had left here for China on June 24 in connection with participating in this meeting.
