KATHMANDU, Jan 2: Nepal earned US$9.436 million by exporting electricity to Bangladesh in 2025.
According to the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), the revenue was generated over a five-month period between mid-June and mid-November 2025. During this period, Nepal exported 40 megawatts of electricity to Bangladesh at a rate of US$6.40 per unit.
Nepal began exporting electricity to Bangladesh last year. In 2024, however, the country sold power to the SAARC nation only on November 15, earning US$29,000 from a single-day cross-border transaction.
40 MW export to Bangladesh: Nepal's leap in power trade
In 2025, Nepal was able to carry out full-scale electricity exports to Bangladesh. In Nepali rupees, earnings from the trade exceeded Rs 1.35 billion, calculated at an exchange rate of Rs 143.37 per US dollar.
A tripartite agreement for cross-border power trade among Nepal, India, and Bangladesh was signed on October 3, 2024. Under the agreement between the NEA, India’s NTPC Vidyut Byapar Nigam, and the Bangladesh Power Development Board, Nepal is allowed to export surplus electricity to Bangladesh via India from June 15 to November 15 each year.
Through an aggressive energy production strategy, Nepal has been expanding renewable energy generation while seeking alternative markets for its surplus electricity. Bangladesh, as part of its clean energy strategy, aims to import 9,000 megawatts of electricity from Nepal by 2040.
On November 27, 2025, Nepal and Bangladesh reached an agreement to trade an additional 20 megawatts of electricity. Subject to India’s approval, Nepal will export a total of 60 megawatts of electricity to Bangladesh from the next peak power generation season.
The NEA is currently exporting electricity generated by the 25 MW Trishuli and 22 MW Chilime hydropower projects to Bangladesh using the 400 kV double-circuit cross-border transmission line between Baharampur and Bheramara. In a recent development, both countries have also agreed to study additional electricity export routes through India’s transmission network, including lines connecting Barapukuria, Panchagarh/Thakurgaon, Bheramara, and Comilla.
