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The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has prioritized the construction of pumped storage hydropower projects to manage daily electricity demand fluctuations and enhance the country’s energy security. The NEA’s Project Development Department has identified 156 potential pumped storage projects nationwide.

Of these, 33 projects with a combined capacity of 42,000 MW have been shortlisted and categorized. A feasibility study is underway for a 332 MW pumped storage project in Syarphu Lake, Rukum (West), after obtaining a survey permit. Additionally, the 670 MW Dudhkoshi Reservoir Hydropower Project is studying a 200 MW pumped storage component.

A feasibility study is also being conducted for the 1,596 MW Hulingtar-Dukim Pumped Storage Project in Dhading’s Benighat Rorang and Chitwan’s Ichhakamana rural municipalities. Located near Kathmandu, this project benefits from access to roads, transmission lines, and other necessary infrastructure. The NEA’s Project Development Department is currently conducting a Detailed Engineering Study (DEX) for the project.

The project involves constructing two reservoirs by building 45-meter and 103-meter-high dams on the Hugdi (upper) and Mowa (lower) rivers, respectively. The power plant will be situated on the Mowa River. Electricity will be generated using water stored in the Hugdi reservoir, and after generation, the water will be pumped back from the Mowa reservoir to Hugdi. The project is designed to operate at full capacity for six hours during peak demand periods.

Pumped storage projects store water in an upstream reservoir during off-peak hours when energy prices are low. This stored water is later used to generate electricity during peak hours when demand and prices are higher. These projects play a crucial role in power system stability, peak demand management, and surplus energy utilization. They also enable Nepal to generate and consume electricity efficiently while exporting surplus energy to India at premium rates during peak periods.

On Saturday, NEA Executive Director Kulman Ghising, Project Development Director Nasibman Pradhan, and other officials inspected the Hulingtar-Dukim project site. Ghising highlighted the project’s advantages over others due to its strategic location, favorable environmental and social conditions, accessibility, infrastructure availability, and proximity to transmission lines and power demand centers.

Ghising stated that the project would initially be developed with a capacity of 510 MW in the first phase, eventually expanding to full capacity. “The process of obtaining a survey permit will be prioritized to accelerate construction,” he said. The project is expected to generate approximately 3.36bn units of electricity annually, with an estimated cost of $587,000 per megawatt.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 900 per tola in the domestic market on Wednesday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 170, 400 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 169, 500 per tola on Tuesday.

Similarly, the price of silver has increased by Rs 10 and is being traded at Rs 1, 950 per tola today.

Cathay celebrated its top five travel and cargo partner agents from Nepal today at the annual Wings of Excellence awards presentation, acknowledging their outstanding achievements and recognizing them for their valuable contributions and support to Cathay over the past year.

The event took place at Kathmandu Marriott Hotel on Tuesday.

Cathay’s Regional General Manager, South Asia, Middle East, and Africa Rakesh Raicar, Country Lead Nepal Junu Maleku and ChairmanGSA-Amravati Travels Pvt Ltd Siddhartha SJB Rana were present on the occasion.

Cathay’s Rakesh Raicar said: “It is our privilege to recognize and express our gratitude to our valued travel and cargo partners from Nepal. Their unwavering support has strengthened our collaboration, and we are excited about the new opportunities that lie ahead in 2025 and beyond. As we continue to grow together, we remain committed to delivering enhanced passenger and cargo services to our home hub, Hong Kong, and beyond.”

Junu Maleku said: “Our travel and cargo partners are the backbone of our success. Their support is indeed invaluable, and we remain committed to strengthening our partnership and delivering exceptional service. 

“The ‘Wings of Excellence’ awards underscore their trust in us, and we strive to help them serve their customers better, as we continue to leverage our global network and the strategic advantages of our home hub, Hong Kong.”

Oslo World Travel Nepal, Bon Travel & Tours Pvt. Ltd., Seven Star International Travel and Tours Pvt Ltd, Sea Links Travels and Tours Pvt Ltd., and Prabas Travel and Tours Pvt. Ltd. were recognised as the five top-performing travel agents for 2024. 

Meanwhile, the top five cargo agents for 2024 included Pioneer Cargo, Shangrila International Freight Pvt Ltd., GMK international Freight Pvt. Ltd., Himalayan Travel & Tours Pvt. Ltd., and Rising Star Cargo P. Ltd.

Each award-winning agent has played a significant role in Cathay’s success in Nepal and the wider region, reads a statement issued by Cathay.

Cathay Pacific will increase its flight frequencies between Hong Kong and Nepal’s Tribhuvan International Airport from five return flights per week to daily return flights from March 31, 2025.

These additional flights will provide customers from Nepal with more choice and connectivity to Hong Kong and beyond. 

Through the airline’s home hub in Hong Kong, customers from Nepal can connect to the Cathay Group’s extensive network of destinations in the Chinese Mainland, South Korea, Japan, Australia, the United States and Canada.

So far, the Cathay Group has announced eight new destinations that will be joining its global passenger network in 2025, with more still to come. Customers will be able to take advantage of direct flights from Hong Kong to Dallas in the United States starting 24 April 2025, according to the statement.

Increased capacity also means additional belly space for Cathay Cargo’s services from Kathmandu. This will allow Cathay Cargo to offer more time-bound solutions for the Nepal market, meeting the growing demand for efficient and reliable cargo services.

It also benefits time-sensitive products such as perishables, mail and courier services, ensuring regular and consistent deliveries.

The Office of the Company Registrar has fully implemented the Company Administration Management Information System.

In a press statement issued on Monday, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies announced the launch of the system.

This new digital system is expected to make the process of handling company-related tasks more convenient, offering services ranging from company registration to annulment without the need for service seekers to be physically present at the office.

The Ministry has encouraged all stakeholders to utilize the service and provide feedback on any issues encountered in using the system.