Nepal is second largest country after Brazil in water resources. There are over 6000 rivers in Nepal, and many small streams and rivulets whose total length is more than 45,000 km. It has theoretical hydropower potential of 83000 MW and financial and technically viable hydropower potential of 43,000 MW.
Out of 75 districts 65 districts have potential of producing hydropower in Nepal. The studies conducted so far have identified 122 projects. Among these projects there are 27 projects, which could be developed with storage reservoirs for multipurpose use for hydropower, irrigation, flood control and inland navigation. Of these projects, 23 projects have already been studied at least to pre-feasibility level. These feasible projects have total installed capacity of 14,740 MW and can produce 43,000 GWh of energy per year. Only 1.5 % of proven potential has been installed.
The total installed electricity generation is about 613.5 MW out of which hydroelectric generation capacity is around 557 MW and only 21000 VDCs are getting electricity supplies until FY 2063/64. Of this total generation of electricity, 603 MW are hooked to the national grid, and the remaining are in isolated system comprising 40 small/mini hydro plants, about 2000 micro-hydro and about 1200 peltric sets serving remote areas of the country. The total length of transmission lines ranging from 33 KV to 132 KV is 3332.86 Km.
Other Sources of Clean Energy:
Other than hydropower there are many sources of clean energy which are also called renewable energy resources which include solar, wind, biomass, biogas, geothermal etc. 5.1 percent of people are getting electricity service from renewable energy.
Nepal has around 19, 00, 000 biogas plant potential. Some 170 thousands biogas plants have been established. There are about 60 private biogas companies and 15 biogas appliances manufacturing workshops in the country for the effective dissemination of this technology in Nepal. Also the biogas program is developed as the first CDM project in Nepal.
9.5 MW hydro electricity has been produced by micro- hydro system
213 thousand improved cooking stoves have been built.
Practical Action Nepal has installed and demonstrated more than 13 small scale wind power plants in 7 different locations of Nepal. The programme has been successful introducing 100 W and 200 W small scale wind turbines designed in Peru and Sri Lanka to Nepal. Other than this Alternative energy promotion (AEPC) Nepal has installed in few other places including Kathmandu.
AEPC has recorded wind data for the following stations.
§ Butwal (Rupandehi)
§ Kagbeni (Mustang)
§ Thini (Mustang)
§ Batase Danda (Palpa)·Ramechhap
§ Phakhel (Makwanpur)
§ Neta (Pyuthan)
The establishment of Wind – Solar power pilot project in four sites is complete.
§ Jogepani/ Palpa- 10 PL Tubes -400 W
§ Bhimdhunga/ Kathmandu- 12 PL Tubes- 480W
§ Neta/Pyuthan – 10 PL- 400W
§ Kaskot/Pyuthan- 9 PL-360W
Nepal averages 300 sunny days a year, so has many locations for the exploitation of this renewable energy. The average solar radiation varies from 3.6 –6.2 kWh/m2/day. The theoretical solar energy potential in Nepal is estimated at 26 million MW.
AEPC has been carrying out various activities of which the Solar Energy Support Program (SSP) is the major. SSP is funded jointly by Danida, Norwegian Government and Government of Nepal. SSP has already installed 87,245 solar home system (SHS) by the end of 2007 and has planned to install approximately 150, 000 SHS by the month of March 20012 on a demand driven basis.
For water heating, solar water heater has become very popular. Till 2005, there are around 61,000 solar water heaters installed in the country.
