Archive · 28 Aug 2026
Glacier Collapse Damages Nepal Hydropower, Prompting Possible India Imports
A glacier broke apart in the Himalayas and caused a huge flood in Nepal.
The flood damaged many power plants and other energy projects.
Most of Nepal’s electricity comes from hydropower, which uses moving water.
Because some plants are damaged, Nepal may not have enough electricity for a while.
Repair teams are working to fix the damage.
Nepal may ask India to provide extra power during this period.
Nepal usually sells extra electricity to India during rainy months.
It buys electricity from India in winter when rivers have less water.
The disaster has raised concerns about building large energy projects in areas vulnerable to extreme weather.
A glacier collapse in the high-altitude Himalayas triggered floods that damaged nearly 360 megawatts of Nepal’s power capacity.
Nine operating hydroelectric facilities in two districts were heavily affected by the surge.
A 25-megawatt solar plant and five projects under construction, totaling 390 megawatts, were also damaged.
Nepal may import electricity from India while repair teams work to restore power supplies.
The damage could disrupt Nepal’s seasonal electricity trade, including planned exports to India.
- Who
- Nepal’s energy infrastructure and repair teams were affected; Nepal may seek electricity from India.
- What
- Flooding triggered by a collapsing glacier damaged operating and under-construction power facilities.
- When
- The report gives no exact date for the glacier collapse; it refers to power trade over the six months through November 2025.
- Where
- A valley in Nepal near the Chinese border, in the high-altitude Himalayan region between Nepal and Tibet.
- Why
- The glacier collapse caused a surge of floodwater that damaged power infrastructure and threatened Nepal’s electricity supply.
- Damaged operating capacity
- Nearly 360 megawatts, predominantly hydropower
- Affected operating facilities
- Nine hydroelectric facilities across two districts
- Other damaged facilities
- A 25-megawatt solar plant and five projects under construction
- Under-construction capacity
- 390 megawatts combined
- Nepal’s grid
- Hydropower accounts for more than 90% of Nepal’s 4,300-megawatt grid capacity
- Recent power exports
- Nepal supplied India 600 megawatts of round-the-clock power over the six months through November 2025
- Planned exports
- Nepal planned to export an additional 500 megawatts to India this year