Tuesday 30th May 2023
Nepal has urged the global community to tap its hydropower potential in a recently-held international global event called ‘Himalayan Hydro Expo 2018’.
The three-day conference, held during January 5-7, 2017, saw the participation of around 30 experts related to the hydropower sector from countries such as India, Brazil, Italy, South Korea, among others.
Speaking at the inaugural session, the President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari urged the global investors to invest in hydropower development of the country.
Lauding Nepal’s hydropower potential, the President urged on the need for public and private sector participation towards the development of the sector.
“We have huge potential in hydropower development and if properly tapped, this sector will be able to change the fate of the entire nation. The government and private sector should join hands and come together for hydropower development,” says the President.
“The country is importing huge quantum of electricity annually and this practice should be ended,” said Bhandari urging the government to focus on production to attain self-reliability.
In this regard, she also called on the need for replacement of petroleum products with that of the renewable energy.
Meanwhile, Shailendra Guragain, President of Independent Power Producers’ Association Nepal (IPPAN) said this expo will be a forum for discussions among investors, developers and other concerned stakeholders.
“This expo is a one-stop solution for those who want to get information about the hydropower development and its other components,” he added.
Hari Bhakta Sharma, President of the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) opined that the tapping of hydropower potential is needed for the economic growth of Nepal.
According to Vijaya Sagar Pradhan, Managing Director of Expo and Event Management Private Limited, this expo is aimed at achieving the key objective of generating 17,000 MW hydro power over the next seven years.
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