 Nepal has a huge hydropower potential. In fact, the perennial nature of Nepali rivers and the steep gradient of the country's topography provide ideal conditions for the development of some of the world's largest hydroelectric projects in Nepal. Current estimates are that Nepal has approximately 40,000 MW of economically feasible hydropower potential. However, the present situation is that Nepal has developed only approximately 600 MW of hydropower. Therefore, bulk of the economically feasible generation has not been realized yet. Besides, the multipurpose, secondary and tertiary benefits have not been realized from the development of its rivers.
Although bestowed with tremendous hydropower resources, only about 40% of Nepal's population has access to electricity. Most of the power plants in Nepal are run-of-river type with energy available in excess of the in-country demand during the monsoon season and deficit during the dry season.
Nepal's electricity generation is dominated by hydropower, though in the entire scenario of energy use of the country, the electricity is a tiny fraction, only 1% energy need is fulfilled by electricity. The bulk of the energy need is dominated by fuel wood (68%), agricultural waste (15%), animal dung (8%) and imported fossil fuel (8%). The other fact is that only about 40% of Nepal's population has access to electricity. With this scenario and having immense potential of hydropower development, it is important for Nepal to increase its energy dependency on electricity with hydropower development. This contributes to deforestation, soil erosion and depletion, and increased flooding downstream in the Ganges plain. Shortage of wood also pushes farmers to burn animal dung, which is needed for agriculture. Not only this, the development of hydropower will help to achieve the millennium development goals with protecting environment, increasing literacy, improving health of children and women with better energy. Growing environmental degradation adds a sense of urgency.
Energy Consumption in Nepal
The electricity demand in Nepal is increasing by about 7-9% per year. About 40 % of population in Nepal has access to electricity through the grid and off grid system. Nepal's Tenth Five Year Plan (2002– 2007) aims to extend the electrification within country and export to India for mutual benefit. The new Hydropower Policy 2001 seeks to promote private sector investment in the sector of hydropower development and aims to expand the electrification within the country and export.
The hydropower system in Nepal is dominated by run-of-river Projects. There is only one seasonal storage project in the system. There is shortage of power during winter and spill during wet season. The load factor is quite low as the majority of the consumption is dominated by household use. This imbalance has clearly shown the need for storage projects, and hence, cooperation between the two neighboring countries is essential for the best use of the hydro resource for mutual benefit.
The system loss is one of the major issues to be addressed to improve the power system which accounts to be 25 % including technical and non-technical losses like pilferage.
Status of Power Generation and Transmission
Nepal has 600 MW of installed capacity in its Integrated Nepal Power System (INPS). The power system is dominated by the hydropower which contributes about 90 % of the system and the balance is met by multi fuel plant. The hydropower development in Nepal began with the development of 500 kW Pharping power plant in 1911. The most recent significant power plant commissioned is the 144-MW Kali Gandaki “A” Hydroelectric Plant.
Transmission Network in Nepal
Until 1990, hydropower development was under the domain of government utility, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) only. However, with the enactment of new Hydropower Development Policy 1992, the sector was opened to the private sector also. There are number of projects already built by the private developers. Private power producers contribute 148 MW of power to the ‘Integrated Nepal Power System'.
The major hydropower plants with their capacity are listed in the table as follows:
Power Plants in Operation
S.N.
|
Power Plant
|
Capacity (MW)
|
Annual Energy (GWh)
|
Owned by
|
Type
|
1
|
Trishuli
|
24
|
292
|
NEA
|
ROR
|
2
|
Sunkoshi
|
10
|
66
|
NEA
|
ROR
|
3
|
Gandak
|
15
|
53
|
NEA
|
ROR
|
4
|
Kulekhani I
|
60
|
164
|
NEA
|
STO
|
5
|
Devighat
|
14
|
13
|
NEA
|
ROR
|
6
|
Kulekhani II
|
32
|
96
|
NEA
|
STO
|
7
|
Marshyangdi
|
69
|
519
|
NEA
|
PROR
|
8
|
Puwa
|
6
|
41
|
NEA
|
ROR
|
9
|
Modi
|
15
|
87
|
NEA
|
ROR
|
10
|
Kaligandaki
|
144
|
791
|
NEA
|
PROR
|
11
|
Andhikhola
|
5
|
38
|
BPC
|
ROR
|
12
|
Jhimruk
|
12
|
81
|
BPC
|
ROR
|
13
|
Khimti
|
60
|
353
|
HPL
|
ROR
|
14
|
Bhotekoshi
|
36
|
246
|
BKPC
|
ROR
|
15
|
Indrawati
|
7.5
|
51
|
NHPC
|
ROR
|
16
|
Syange
|
.2
|
1.2
|
SHC
|
ROR
|
17
|
Chilime
|
20
|
101
|
CHC
|
PROR
|
18
|
Piluwa
|
3
|
18
|
AVHCO
|
ROR
|
19
|
Sunkoshi
|
2.6
|
14.5
|
SHPC
|
ROR
|
20
|
Chaku Khola
|
1.5
|
|
Alliance Power
|
|
21
|
Small hydro
|
12.5
|
26
|
NEA
|
ROR
|
22
|
Small hydro (Isolated)
|
6.4
|
|
NEA
|
ROR
|
23
|
Microhydro
|
14.5
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
=SUM(ABOVE) 568.7
|
|
|
|
There are few hydro plants under construction by NEA and private developers as listed in the Table below:
Power Plants under construction
SN
|
Power Plant
|
Capacity (MW)
|
Owned by
|
Remarks
|
1
|
Middle Marshyangdi
|
70
|
NEA
|
|
3
|
Gamgad
|
0.4
|
NEA
|
|
4
|
Heldung
|
0.5
|
NEA
|
|
5
|
|
|
|
|
6
|
Rairang
|
0.5
|
Rairang HPD
|
|
7
|
Upper Modi
|
14
|
GITEC
|
|
8
|
Khudi
|
3.5
|
KHL
|
|
9
|
Mailung
|
5
|
MPC
|
|
Potential for Development
There are about six thousand big and small rivers in three major river basins namely Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali including some southern rivers, and two border rivers, Mechi and Mahakali in Nepal. The basin wise potential for power generation is in the table below:
Basin wise Hydropower potential
River Basin
|
Capacity on small river courses
|
Capacity on Major River Courses
|
Gross Total (GW)
|
Economic potential (GW)
|
Sapta Koshi
|
3.6
|
18.75
|
22.35
|
10.86
|
Sapta Gandaki
|
2.7
|
17.95
|
20.65
|
5.27
|
Karnali and Mahakali
|
3.5
|
32.68
|
36.18
|
25.1
|
Southern Rivers
|
1.04
|
3.07
|
4.11
|
.88
|
Total
|
10.84
|
72.45
|
83.29
|
42.14
|
There are many projects which have been identified for development. Some of those identified promising projects for development are in the following table:
Identified potential Hydropower Projects
S.N.
|
Project
|
Capacity (MW)
|
Type
|
Remarks
|
1
|
West Seti
|
750
|
Storage
|
|
2
|
Arun III
|
402
|
PROR
|
|
3
|
Budhi Gandaki
|
600
|
Storage
|
|
4
|
Kali Gandaki II
|
660
|
Storage
|
|
5
|
Lower Arun
|
308
|
PROR
|
|
6
|
Upper Arun
|
335
|
PROR
|
|
7
|
Karnali Chisapani
|
10800
|
Storage
|
|
8
|
Upper Karnali
|
300
|
PROR
|
|
9
|
Chamelia
|
30
|
ROR
|
|
10
|
Pancheswor
|
6480
|
Storage
|
|
11
|
Thulodhunga
|
25
|
ROR
|
|
12
|
Tamor/ Mewa
|
100
|
PROR
|
|
13
|
Dudh Koshi
|
300
|
Storage
|
|
14
|
Budhi Ganga
|
20
|
ROR
|
|
15
|
Rahughat Khola
|
27
|
ROR
|
|
16
|
Likhu 4
|
51
|
PROR
|
|
17
|
Kabeli A
|
30
|
ROR
|
|
18
|
Upper Marshyangdi A
|
121
|
PROR
|
|
19
|
Kulekhani III
|
45
|
Storage
|
Cascade of Kulekhani- I and II
|
20
|
Andhikhola (Storage)
|
180
|
Storage
|
|
21
|
Khimti II
|
27
|
ROR
|
|
22
|
Upper Modi A
|
42
|
ROR
|
|
23
|
Langtang Khola (Storage)
|
218
|
Storage
|
|
24
|
Madi Ishaneswor (Storage)
|
86
|
Storage
|
|
25
|
Upper Seti (Storage)
|
122
|
Storage
|
|
26
|
Kankai (Storage)
|
60
|
Storage
|
|
27
|
Upper Tamakoshi
|
250
|
PROR
|
|
*Thank you*
| 
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