We have seen many instances in the recent past till the most recent one, where PM KP Sharma Oli has also launched a fleet of electric vehicles couple of days back.

Here comes another major achievement that Nepal made with regard to adopting green solutions.

In a recent update, young Nepali researchers Sagar Kafle and Nirina Khadgi received a rare honor in the form of the Green Talents Award 2018 from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) of Germany.

Under the patronage of the Minister of BMBF, the Green Talents Award has been honoring talented researchers since 2009 and provides young scientists with a platform for sharing their views on green concepts to make the world a better place.

The 2018 edition of the awards saw a high-ranking jury of experts selecting 25 up-and-coming researchers from among the 736 applicants from more than 100 countries.

Sagar and Nirina were shortlisted from Nepal location!

Sagar- A Resident of Biratnagar

Sagar works as a Lecturer at Purwanchal Campus, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Dharan.

After receiving a Master’s Degree from South Korea, Sagar’s strong desire to work for the homeland brought him back to the country.

Besides teaching, Sagar is also an influencer who motivates the youth in research besides organizing discussion forums as a platform for researches and policy makers for formulation of research and green energy friendly policy in the country.

The Green Talent Award winner is also the fellow member of the Asian Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs (AIDIA), Nepal’s foreign policy think-tank.

Sagar is currently working to establish a large-scale ‘fuel pellet plant in Nepal’, the pellet having identical properties as coal, can be used as coal in the Cement and Brick Industries.

His idea of the ‘Green Coal Pellet’ has also topped the Climate Launchpad national competition and the idea is representing the country in grand final in Scotland this year on first week of November.

Nirina- Resident of Kathmandu

Nirina is the Environmental Science Graduate from the Central Department of Environment Science, Tribhuvan University and is currently pursuing PhD in Hohai University of China.

Concerns over chemicals that go unregulated and often untreated in streams causing a huge impact in the water ecosystem and health moved Nirina.

Eventually, she began her research on ways to enhance the efficiency of water treatment processes, not only to improve human health, but also to contribute to reduction in overall levels of pollution.

Nirina plans to increase the awareness about these chemicals in waters and bring the attention of the stakeholders towards formulating and implementing effective water regulation and developing treatment facilities.

Nirina is currently working on the treatment of water using an advanced technology that uses solar light.

A Rare Opportunity

As part of the awards, the two Nepalis got an opportunity to interact with the “Green Talents – International Forum for High Potentials in Sustainable Development” in Germany.

Besides, they also got a chance to visit other hotspots of green science in Eastern Germany, sustainability research elite and some of the country’s most renowned research institutions and companies, including Technical University of Dresden, the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research and the Institute for Social-Ecological Research in Frankfurt.

The award ceremony conducted at the Ministry hall was attended by representatives of the institutions, jury members, embassy representatives and other distinguished guests.

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In another landmark move for Biratnagar, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli inaugurated a new biogas plant and gas pipeline system at Jatuwa of Biratnagar Metropolis-14, Morang.

The latest move is in line with Oli Government’s long-standing commitment to end the usage of LPG cylinders for domestic purposes by setting up gas pipelines across the country.

Surprisingly, this is not a government’s move! First such move came from a Jatuwa-based organization called Shree Krishna Gau Sewa Sadan.

The new biogas plant uses dung produced by the domesticated cows at the organization’s Gaushala (area where cows are protected) and is currently producing 160 kg gas per day, which can cater to the domestic needs of 150 households.

Under phase-1 of the project, the organization has set up gas pipelines up to 400 meters and is supplying the gas to nearly 32 families at a cost of Rs 84 per kilogram.

“This gas plant will replace around 1,000 gas cylinders in a year,” says Gyanendra Singh, an official from the District Coordination Committee.      

The organization has been working under the World Bank support and in collaboration with the Energy Development Company.

Though decided on generating power through biogas in the FY 2017-18, the organization later decided to produce gas for households owing to decrease in load-shedding.

Committed to protection of cows and effective utilization of cow produce, the organization now cares for around 205 cows.

Hope, more such organizations and additional public participation would add to the government’s efforts towards 100 percent replacement of the LPG cylinders usage in the country.

Also Read:

• Go Green: Nepal’s Transition to Green Vehicles Possible in 10 Years

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The US Ambassador to Nepal Alaina B Teplitz and the Department of Environment (DoE) Director General Durga Prasad Dawadi launched the app at a function held in Kathmandu on March 29, 2018.

Speaking on the occasion, Teplitz said, “Our goal is for the Safa Hawa app and the information that it makes available to help reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from air pollution and strengthen Nepal’s capacity to manage national health risks.”

The app, which also contributes to Digital Nepal initiative, was jointly developed by Bidhee Pvt Ltd. and the US Embassy in Kathmandu. It is available for free in both iOS and Android versions.

Key Areas That Need Attention

In her address at the launch event, Teplitz raised air pollution concerns in Nepal citing the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) findings by the Yale University and Columbia University released in January 2018.

EPI 2018 had termed Nepal as the country with the highest air quality concerns among 180 countries.

The Nepal Academy of Science and Technology records show as many as 35,000 deaths due to air pollution in Nepal, every year. 

 “Globally, air pollution is one of the leading risk factors for disease.  Experts say that over 7 million deaths can be attributed to air pollution every year. As we all know, many countries in South Asia, including Nepal, struggle with severe air pollution issues which impact the health and well-being of local populations,” says Teplitz.

Teplitz pointed out that the air pollution, especially in Kathmandu, could affect potential international investors’ willingness to invest in business and tourism, among other sectors of Nepal.

“From a very practical point, Kathmandu presents a very challenging aviation environment, given its terrain and congested airport.  As pollution increases in Kathmandu Valley, visibility is limited, leading to more delays for aircraft approaching Tribhuvan International Airport,” said Teplitz.

Safa Hawa, A Savior

According to the US Ambassador Teplitz, solutions such as installation of air filters, new manufacturing processes, timely recycling of wastage and data-informed policies can address Nepal’s air pollution concerns to some extent.

“We can halt the burning of garbage and plastics in our neighborhood and plant trees. The government can control vehicle emissions and business can change their processes as well as develop solutions to environmental issues,” she adds.

As part of its contribution, the US Embassy in Kathmandu had set up two Air Quality Monitors in Kathmandu in the Embassy grounds and at Fohora Durbar in Kathmandu’s central Thamel area, which provide real-time data on air pollution for both PM 2.5 particles and ozone.

Now, Safa Hawa will retrieve information recorded by two air-quality monitoring stations, informed Teplitz, while hoping that the app will contribute to a healthier Kathmandu.

She also hoped that the app information will also help the government in its efforts towards addressing air pollution concerns in the country, especially in the Valley.

“We hope this knowledge would spread awareness, and that breathers – and policy-makers – can use this information to push for changes in policy that will make communities cleaner and healthier,” read her statement.

Durga Prasad also hoped that Safa Hawa would soon disseminate the data collected by all the ten air-quality monitoring systems operating across the country.

The app, available in both English and Nepali languages, sends hourly notifications to the user on air-quality and also sends out health tips on a regular basis, say the developers.

For Clean Environment

Nepal has welcomed many such initiatives and campaigns to ensure a clean environment for its citizens.

Some of such key initiatives include measures to tackle climate change, introduction of horn-ban policy, promotion of green energy solutions, Everest Clean-up Campaign 2018, call for ban on old vehicles and effective waste management solutions, among others.

Also Read:
        1. Nepal For Clean Energy Solutions, Bets Big on Hydropower

        2. Tidy Nepal: Waste Management a Norm in Nepal, Dhankuta An Inspiration

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As a unique geography with around 6000 small and big rivers, and other natural resources like wind, solar, biofuel, among others, Nepal holds a strong energy potential that can power the local and global energy requirements in the future.

Despite its size, the country holds such a strong portfolio contributing to almost 3 percent of the world’s electricity generation through its hydropower.

Besides, the country also hosts a diverse biodiversity profile that helps it contribute to the development of the global ecosystem.

Continuing its journey from the past, Nepal has made major strides towards establishing its image as the country for clean energy solutions. As part of these efforts, the country underwent rapid developments and has taken active measures.

Good Bye Coal!

Coal consumption has always been a major topic of discussion when it comes to achieving full-fledged energy revolution.

And, Nepal stands at its best in this regard!

While its close neighbor India ranks among the top countries in terms of coal production and dependence on coal for electricity generation, Nepal claims to have been maintaining zero percent coal consumption for power generation.

This adds to Nepal’s strong energy portfolio at the global level.

Tapping Hydropower Potential

Out of Nepal’s 84000 MW hydropower potential, around 43000 MW is economically viable.

Taking ahead Nepal’s strong energy potential, the Government of Nepal has taken various initiatives over the period.

As a key measure in the process, the Nepal Government declared 2016-26 as the ‘national energy crisis reduction and electricity development decade’.

Experts feel that Nepal’s hydropower generation will reach record heights in the years to go.

The government envisages to take the country’s hydropower production capacity to 10,000-25,000 MW in the next 10-20 years period.

Progressing as planned, the country has seen major addition to its hydropower portfolio in 2017.

While the actual hydropower production was just 753 MW in 2015, the Nepal’s hydropower production capacity grew almost three-fold in 2017 alone.

With an addition of 50 MW to the national grid, the country’s energy sector saw its hydropower potential growing to 150 MW with the addition of 16 new hydropower projects with a total installed capacity of 100 MW, by the end of 2017.

Meanwhile, in the recently-held Himalayan Hydro Expo (HHE) 2018, the President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari urged the global investors to invest in Nepal’s hydropower sector, which reiterates Nepal’s strong commitment to the development of hydropower 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 country is importing huge quantum of electricity annually and this practice should be ended. The government and private sector should join hands and come together for hydropower development,” said the President in her address at the three-day HHE 2018.

Event Nepali industry experts felt that this conference would act as a major platform to draw investment into the country’s hydropower sector.

According to Vijaya Sagar Pradhan, Managing Director of Expo and Event Management Private Limited, this expo was aimed at achieving the key objective of generating 17,000 MW hydropower capacity over the next seven years.

The second edition of the three-day Nepal Power Investment Summit 2018, held during January 27-29, 2018, also saw Nepal’s special attention on hydropower sector, wherein, the President said the government will accord top priority to foreign investment and technology for the sector’s development.

It is noteworthy that Bangladesh has recently expressed its interest to invest in Nepal’s hydropower projects. “In order to meet the growing demand, we are considering Nepal a big market that can fulfil our needs,” Bangladeshi Ambassador to Nepal Mashfee Binte Shams said in a recent statement.

In another major announcement, the Government of Nepal has also announced the 1200-MW Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project following Nepali Cabinet’s decision in this regard on November 24, 2017. This project to be built with domestic resources is being termed as a ‘national-pride project.

Solar and Wind, The Most Abundant

As a country surrounded by large mountains and natural habitat, Nepal holds a strong potential for solar and wind energy.

Considering the rate of wind blows at an average of 18 hours per day, APEC estimates Nepal’s wind energy potential can generate 3000 MW power with two remote districts Manang and Mustang alone holding 2500 MW potential.

Adding to the already-installed ones, Nepal is expected to ramp up the establishment of more wind power stations in the future.

When it comes to solar energy, Nepal find its true solar energy utilization across the hilly areas of the country with scattered settlements and no power access.

The population in such remote parts of the country are relying on solar energy for their energy needs. 

With the average solar radiation varying between 3.6-6.2 Kwh/m2/day and the sunshine of about 300 days in a year, AEPC estimates Nepal’s solar energy production potential at 2100 MW.

While Nepal had 185,017 solar powers installed across the country as of 2010 prior to the earthquake disaster, the number of installations went on to rise post the April 2015 earthquake and has substituted the hydropower requirements at large across the affected hilly areas.

It is noteworthy here that Nepal’s largest wind-solar hybrid power system, supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is also already under operation.

The USD 16.2 million worth project, powered by 20-KW capacitive wind turbines and 15-kW capacitive solar PV panels, accounts to 110 units of energy generation per day and is currently catering to 83 rural households in the Hariharpurgadi village of Sindhuli district.

Green or Electric Vehicles (EV) Adoption

Nepal has been clear on its energy policies that have been in line with the eco-friendly requirements, over the period.

Taking a leap ahead, Nepal has already started looking for alternative energy solutions that are on high priority across the globe.

In a move controlling vehicle emissions and ensuring clean energy policies, Nepal is gearing up for the adoption of Electric Vehicles (EV) or green vehicles, at a pace expected to be faster than that of the neighboring Asian giant India, says Nepal’s former Finance Secretary Rameshore Khanal.

“When there is disincentive to buy petrol-fueled cars, people will readily buy EVs. Whereas, in Nepal, there has been a voluntary adoption of EVs even when enough incentives are not in place. EVs will provide a measure of energy security for Nepal,” says Khanal.

However, lack of strong government policies recommending the same are yet to happen across the country, he adds.

Khanal pitches for the official disincentivization of the fossil fuel car usage and declaration of rural areas recently connected with the national road network and other areas like Singh Durbar as
‘EV-only zones’.

With the right policies in place, Nepal’s complete transition to EVs can become a reality in a span of 10 years, says Khanal.

Biogas, an Eco-friendly Solution

As part of measures to protect its abundant natural resource and an eco-friendly environment, Nepal is also gearing up for the implementation of biogas plants across the country.

With the government’s subsidiary-level support, biogas plants of various sizes have already started coming up across different parts of the country.

According to Nepal’s Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (APEC), the existing 320,000 biogas plants across the country are saving about 400,000 trees, annually, which equals to minimizing Green House Gas (GHG) emissions by more than one million tons annually.

In addition, the existing animal population can result in 14.9 million tons of animal dung, which upon conversion to biogas can meet up to 40 percent of Nepal’s overall energy power requirements.

Besides animal waste, around 670 metric tons of waste generated from the country’s 58 municipalities also offer scope for the high-potential biogas production.

The Last Word

With such a strong energy potential, Nepal can be of a major advantage for the global energy sector.

Besides, this high-range energy portfolio would also be of major need for the country in its developmental path towards meeting the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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Be it ramping up of hydropower projects adding to the country’s energy base, implementing ‘no-horn policy’ in Kathmandu, among others, Nepal is on pace for eco-friendly policies.

As a step ahead in the process, Nepal is also gearing up for early adoption of Electric Vehicles (EV) or green vehicles, which is in fact the high-priority task for most of the global nations.

Nepal’s former Finance Secretary Rameshore Khanal has some important information for us on Nepal’s willingness towards adoption of EVs.

“EVs will provide a measure of energy security for Nepal. As of now, the price of oil affects us in many ways, but when we switch to electric, the situation will be different,” says Khanal.

Khanal opines that the transition in Nepal for adoption of EVs will be quicker than in India.

“When there is disincentive to buy petrol-fueled cars, people will readily buy EVs. Whereas, in Nepal, there has been a voluntary adoption of EVs even when enough incentives are not in place,” he adds.

According to Khanal, Nepal has more charging stations per capita than India and has around 35 charging stations across the country.

Government Policies Can Take Ahead

According to Khanal, lack of standards and inadequate number of charging stations are two prime factors limiting EV adoption in Nepal.

The lack of proper governmental policies with regard to charging standard also remains another prime reason. “The government has not yet chosen the charging standard for electric cars. Government needs to choose one standard. This will encourage them to switch to EVs,” Khanal adds.

“With the right policies in place, we can achieve complete transition in 10 years. The transition for public vehicles will take longer but for private vehicles, we can do it in 10 years,” says Khanal.

Khanal further opined that there would be a day when petrol stations across the country will see a fall in business.

“So, my suggestion is that the government should make it mandatory for all petrol pumps in Nepal to set up a charging station for EVs. This will be a good investment as eventually, EVs will become the norm in Nepal,” he adds.

On a closing note, Khanal opines that the government should disincentivize the use of fossil fuel cars and should declare rural areas recently connected with the national road network and other areas like Singh Durbar, the administrative hub of the country, as ‘EV only zones’.

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