Wikipedia

Draft:Energy in Nepal

  • Comment: This draft has information that is not in the article and should be added to the article. Please compare and combine the draft and the article.
    You may ask for advice about comparing and combining a draft and an article at the Teahouse. In particular, please add the information on hydropower. Robert McClenon (talk) 04:50, 30 October 2023 (UTC)

Nepal is a country enclosed by land, situated between China and India. It has a total area of 147,181 square kilometers and a population of 29.16 million.[1] It has a small economy, with a GDP of $33.66 billion in 2020, amounting to about 1% of South Asia and 0.04% of the World's GDP. Nepal's total energy consumption in 2019/2020 was 14.464 million tons of oil equivalent. The energy mix is dominated by traditional sources like firewood and agricultural residue (68.7%), with smaller shares from commercial sources like petroleum and coal (28.2%) and renewable sources.[2]

Current Energy Status of Nepal edit

Solar: edit

Nepal has favorable solar resources, receiving average solar radiation of 3.6 to 6.2 kW/m2/day. Sunshine duration is around three hundred days per year or 6.8 hours per day, equivalent to approximately 2100 hours annually. This indicates good potential for solar power generation across most regions in Nepal.[3] Nepal's favorable solar resources have attracted interest in solar technology due to their relatively low upfront costs and fast installation. As a result, some solar applications like household lighting, water pumping, water treatment, domestic space, and water heating have been used in Nepal over the past few decades. Although the solar technology implementation in Nepal has been a small, isolated system, extensive integration is possible into the national grid. It might contribute significantly to fulfilling overall energy demand in Nepal.[3] The Government of Nepal plans to develop a large-scale 250 MW solar project in the Tarai plains, including a 20 MW storage system[4]

Hydropower edit

Nepal has a highly mountainous landscape, with elevations starting from 60 meters above sea level to 8848 meters within an average north-south aerial distance of less than 150km. The 225 billion cubic meters of annual water discharge flows out of the country, supplemented by high hydraulic heads.[5] Nepal is often called the "water tower of South Asia" due to its vast water resources. The country's rugged topography, numerous rivers and streams with 6000 a total length of about 45,000 KM, lends itself to hydropower generation.[6] Hydroelectric potential in Nepal is approximately 83000 Megawatts, of which 45,000MW are economically and technically viable.[7] Around 86% of Nepal's population has access to grid electricity, while 10% depend on off-grid distributed generation, mainly from renewables; between 2018 and May 2022, Nepal doubled its installed capacity from 1,069 MW to 2,100 MW. Continuing capacity expansion can be utilized to address long-suppressed domestic demand, replace imported fossil fuels, and export to the South Asian region.[8] The rivers of Nepal can be broadly classified into three types by their origins. The first category comprises the four central river systems of the country: Koshi, Gandaki, Karnali, and Mahakali. All of them originate from glaciers and snow fed lakes. Rivers of the second category originated from the Mahabharat range, including Babai, West Rapti, Bagmati, Kamala, Kankai, and Mechi. Stream and rivulets originating from the Chure hills comprise the third category: these rivers cause flash floods during monsoon rains and remain without or very little flow during the dry season.[9] At present, approximately 10% of the total rainfall in Nepal descends as snow. Around 23% of the country's land area exceeds the enduring snow line at 5000 meters. Glaciers cover about 3.6 percent of Nepal's total area. Nepal has 3,252 glaciers spanning an area of 5,323 square kilometers with an approximated ice reserve of 481 cubic kilometers. The country also has 2,323 glacial lakes encompassing 75 square kilometers.[10] Small-scale hydroelectricity generation in Nepal dates back to the 1960s When the government promoted subsidies for remote installations. The semi- government Nepal Electricity Authority is responsible for significant hydropower projects. The Alternative Energy promotion center was established as an autonomous institution in 1996 to promote large-scale sustainable renewable energy use under the Ninth National Plan. It has been mandated to advance various renewable energy technologies in Nepal.[2][8] The Alternative Energy Promotion Centre is the government agency responsible for promoting renewable energy technologies. It Provides subsidies and technical assistance to community and regional government offices. The Nepal Micro-Hydro Development Association represents around 60 microhydropower companies in the country.[11] It Advocates for these companies and regulates training for plant operators and managers. Locally, district coordination committees represent communities within a district. These committees usually provide financial support to renewable energy projects in their districts.[12] Around 3300 micro-hydropower plants in Nepal are owned and operated by local communities. Most of these have been funded through Alternative Energy Promotion Center subsidies. These projects are an option for increasing energy access in off-grid areas, especially in remote and rural areas, which supports the Sustainable livelihood of people.[13] Micro hydro power improves rural communities through increased income, reduced fossil fuel reliance, and benefits to health and education. However, some projects face issues like poor maintenance, unequal benefit distribution, and insufficient income – reducing sustainability.[11]

The government of Nepal (GoN) has identified the development of hydropower resources as the path to the country's economic development in the long term. Consequently, GoN has set a target to develop 15 GW by ten years and around 40 GW by 2040, which GoN plans to utilize mainly for domestic load demand and export to neighboring countries.[5] GoN, government-owned entities, Independent Power Producers (IPPs), and internationally funded power producers are actively involved in the hydropower development in Nepal. However, developing a robust and reliable national transmission network is essential to properly transmit, distribute, and export power generated from these hydroelectric plants (NEA/GoN, 2023). At present much attention and Investment have been focused mainly on the development of hydroelectricity generation plants. Planned transmission system development has been a less discussed topic, resulting in an ad hoc approach to transmission system development.[4] The Nepal Electricity Authority(NEA) is Nepal's sole operator and distributor of electricity. In 2022, NEA achieved a total installed capacity of 626.7 megawatts, generating 3,242.5 gigawatt-hours of electricity.[4] There has been a significant 14.61% increase in generation compared to the previous year. The peak annual national demand for electricity has reached 1,748 MW. During fiscal year 2078/79, Nepal exported 493.6 GWh of electricity. The only operating thermal power plant is the Hetauda diesel plant, with 14.41 MW capacity and generating 32.51 MWh of energy. There are currently eight active projects under development totaling 943.1 MW capacity. Additionally, 11 planned and proposed projects could add 3,450 MW. Independent Power Produces (IPP) also play a significant role. As of December 2022, IPP-installed projects have 17,09 MW capacity. There are 134 ongoing IPP projects with financial closure totaling 3,253.3 MW capacity. Additionally, there are 89 IPP projects under development without financial closure but with a potential capacity of 1,857.4 MW. The electrification rate in Nepal has notably improved in recent years, with access rising from 93% in 2020/21 to 94 % in 2021/22. The government aims to achieve 100% electricity access nationwide by 2024.[4]

Coal edit

The coal production in the nation was 7250.1 tons in FY 2076/77. This value increased to 11303.9 tons in FY 2077/78 and dropped in FY 2078/79 to 6927.04 tons. A total of 9 licenses were issued in each fiscal year 2076/77 to 2078/79 for coal production. The leading consumer of coal in Nepal is the brick-manufacturing industry.[4]

Biogas edit

Expanding the national electrical grid to distant rural areas is difficult and expensive due to the challenging geographical landscape in the Nepalese countryside. However, as an alternative energy source, Biogas contributes significantly as a viable alternative Renewable energy source.[14], which fulfills the energy demand of local people. Biogas technology can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing fuelwood use and reducing deforestation.[15] Although biogas technology was introduced experimentally in 1995, a rapid expansion began in 1997.[16] So far more than 400,000 household level biogas plants have been installed in Nepal.[17] Biogas primarily relies on animal waste and is mainly used in rural areas, although there is a growing trend of constructing large institutional biogas plants. Additionally, commercial production and sales of Biogas have also commenced.

Other edit

In addition to traditional energy sources, Nepal has other potential resources, including municipal solid waste, Industrial by-products like bagasse from sugar production, secondary wood sources such as logging residue and sawmill waste, furniture production scraps, and agricultural crop and bush residues. Hydrogen fuel is another potential energy source where research is ongoing.[2] In Conclusion, Nepal's renewable energy potential in hydropower, wind, and solar is extensive. High snow-covered mountains, glaciers rivers, and high solar radiation show its higher potentiality. However, Investment in such sources is less. So Nepal must focus on attracting investment, addressing infrastructure challenges, implementing supportive policies, and engaging with the local community. The transition to renewable energy is not only a sustainable energy choice but also an opportunity for Nepal to enhance energy access, reduce its carbon footprint, and contribute to regional energy security.

References edit

  1. ^ CBS, G. o. N., National Statistic Office. (2021). National Population and Housing Census 2021.
  2. ^ a b c AEPC, A. E. P. C. (2021). Annual Report.
  3. ^ a b Bhattarai, U., Maraseni, T., Apan, A., & Devkota, L. P. (2023). Rationalizing donations and subsidies: Energy ecosystem development for sustainable renewable energy transition in Nepal. Energy Policy, 177, 113570.
  4. ^ a b c d e NEA/GoN, N. E. A. (2023). Energy Synopsis Report 2023.
  5. ^ a b Authority, N. E. (2020). Nepal Electricity Authority a year in review—The fiscal year 2019/2020. In: Kathmandu.
  6. ^ Adhikari, D. (2006). Hydropower development in Nepal. NRB Economic Review, pp. 70–94.
  7. ^ Alam, F., Alam, Q., Reza, S., Khurshid-ul-Alam, S., Saleque, K., & Chowdhury, H. (2017). A review of hydropower projects in Nepal. Energy Procedia, 110, 581-585.
  8. ^ a b PROJECT, U. U. N. (2022). Tariff-based competitive procurement of solar power in Nepal. D. C. LLP. https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00ZKT9.pdf
  9. ^ ADB, I. (2006). Environment assessment of Nepal: Emerging Issues and Challenges. Kathmandu: ICIMOD.
  10. ^ Mool, P. K., Wangda, D., Bajracharya, S. R., Kunzang, K., Gurung, D. R., & Joshi, S. P. (2001). Inventory of glaciers, glacial lakes, and glacial lake outburst floods. Monitoring and early warning systems in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region: Bhutan. Inventory of glaciers, glacial lakes, and glacial lake outburst floods. Monitoring and early warning systems in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region: Bhutan.
  11. ^ a b Butchers, J., Williamson, S., Booker, J., Tran, A., Karki, P. B., & Gautam, B. (2020). Understanding the sustainable operation of micro-hydropower: A field study in Nepal. Energy for Sustainable Development, 57, 12-21.
  12. ^ Kumar, P., Yamashita, T., Karki, A., Rajshekar, S., Shrestha, A., Yadav, A., & Asia, S. (2015). Nepal-Scaling up electricity access through mini and micro hydropower applications: a strategic stock-taking and developing a future roadmap (Vol. 2): Summary. Washington, DC: World Bank Group. Available online at: http://documents. worldbank. Org/curated/en/527221467993505663/Summary.
  13. ^ Conroy, C., & Litvinoff, M. (2013). The greening of aid: Sustainable livelihoods in practice. Routledge.
  14. ^ Lal SR, S., Herbert GM, J., Arjunan, P., & Suryan, A. (2022). Advancements in renewable energy transition in India: A review. Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects, 1-31.
  15. ^ Katuwal, H., & Bohara, A. K. (2009). Biogas: A promising renewable technology and its impact on rural households in Nepal. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 13(9), 2668-2674.
  16. ^ AEPC, A. E. P. C. (2021). Annual Report.
  17. ^ Katuwal, H. (2022). Biogas adoption in Nepal: empirical evidence from a nationwide survey. Heliyon, 8(8).
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Draft:Energy_in_Nepal&oldid=1185991304"