Tuesday 7 January 2014

Power outage rises to 80 hours a week in Nepal

Householders in Nepal are now facing power outages for 80 hours a week, a rise from the previous 63 hours.

According to the latest schedule released by the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), there will be 11 hours of load shedding for four days a week and 12 hours for the remaining three days.

That is despite the Government assuring power cuts in the nation would not exceed 12 hours a day this year, reports claim.

Load shedding is when utilities switch off power supplies if the power stations aren't generating enough energy.

Industrial consumers have been hit harder, with reports claiming the load shedding has been extended to 14 hours a day. Nepalese industries are forced to manage back-up power by installing diesel plants at their factories.

The fall in electricity generation due to the decreasing water level in rivers has been blamed for the extended rolling blackout in the country, which is believed to have one of the highest hydropower potential in the world.

Several studies suggest Nepal has commercially viable hydroelectricity potential of up to 45,000MW which remains largely untapped.

Thousands of homes across the South East and East of England were without power over Christmas as a result of heavy rain and strong winds.