India has granted approval for an additional 180 megawatts of electricity generated by four hydropower projects of Nepal to be sold in the Indian market, an official at the state-owned Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) said on Tuesday. Nepal currently has permission to sell up to 452.6MW of power generated by its ten hydropower projects to the Indian market.

“The designated authority of India approved to buy power generated from 83.42MW Solu Khola (Dudh Koshi), 26.19MW Dordi Khola, 40 MW Upper Chameliya Hydropower Project and 38.4 MW Upper Kalanga Gadh Hydroelectric Project to the Indian market,” said Prabal Adhikari, power trade director at the NEA.

According to Adhikari, the power generated by Solu Khola (Dudhkoshi) and Dordi Khola projects will be sold under the five-year-long power sale agreement signed with India’s NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited (NVVN). “Their 110MW of electricity will be transmitted to India via Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur Cross-Border Transmission Line,” said Adhikari.

On May 23, the NEA and the NVVN signed a five-year agreement in their first-ever longer-term power trade deal, paving the way for the export of 200 MW to India. The NEA had proposed five projects—Solu Khola (Dudhkoshi), Super Madi, Upper Balephi ‘A’, Dordi Khola and Upper Chaku ‘A’—for selling power generated by these projects under the deal.

Power generated by the Upper Chameliya Hydropower Project and Upper Kalanga Gadh Hydroelectric Project, however, will be sold in India’s day-ahead market. The combined 70MW of these two projects will be sent to India via the 132 kV Mahendranagar-Tanakpur transmission line, said Adhikari.

Nepal had been awaiting India’s approval for a long time to sell extra power in the Indian market in the wet season when Nepal’s hydropower projects run in full capacity. Nepal often faces the problem of power spillages during the monsoon season. All the hydropower projects in Nepal, except Kulekhani, are built on the run-of-the-river model.

“Following the approval, we hope the extra power generated will be sold, starting Wednesday,” Adhikari added.