Survey license applications of NEA scrapped

The Department of Electricity Development (DoED) has scrapped applications for survey licenses of two storage type projects - Kali Gandaki II (660 MW) and Andhi Khola (180 MW).
The department cancelled applications of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) after the latter failed to deposit the license fee within the stipulated timeframe.
“The applications were scrapped after NEA failed to pay the fee even after 35-day public notice was published,” Gokarna Raj Pantha, senior divisional engineer at DoED, told Republica.
In a bid to end the practice of holding licenses of water resources, the government had revised survey license fee for all hydropower projects in October last year.
“Now onwards, DoED won´t take any decision on Kali Gandaki II as all hydropower projects above 500 MW are being handled by the Nepal Investment Board (NIB),” added Pantha.
The NIB is a high-level government entity established around one and half years ago to implement mega projects on a fast track mode.
The department has also warned all the applicants to pay the required fee as per the revised rates.
Meanwhile, the board of directors of NIB has formed a project development agreement (PDA) negotiation team to hold dialogues with power developers. According to a press statement issued on Tuesday, Anup Kumar Upadhaya, director general at DoED; Keshab Dhoj Adhikari, joint secretary at Ministry of Energy; Bainkuntha Aryal, joint secretary at the Ministry of Finance; Mukunda Paudyal, joint secretary at NIB, Radesh Pant, CEO of NIB; and a representative from the Ministry of Law and Justice are the members of the team.
The team will start PDA negotiation with the developers of four mega projects -- Arun III (900 MW), Tamakoshi III (650 MW), Upper Karnali (900 MW) and Upper Marshyangdi (600 MW).
Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam of India is developing the Arun III, while another Indian company GMR is executing the Upper Karnali and Upper Marsyangdi projects. Similarly, Norwegian firm SN Power is developing the Tamakoshi III.