- Email: [email protected]
A Review of Hydropower Projects in Nepal
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
ScienceDirect Energy Procedia 110 (2017) 581 – 585
1st International Conference on Energy and Power, ICEP2016, 14-16 December 2016, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
A review of hydropower projects in Nepal Firoz Alama, Quamrul Alamb, Suman Rezac, SM Khurshid-ul-Alamc, Khondkar Salequeb, Harun Chowdhurya,* a
School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne 3000, Australia b Department of Management, Monash University, Australia c Prime Minister's Office, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh
Abstract Power generation using hydro resources offers sustainable, zero energy input cost, zero greenhouse gas emission, low operating and maintenance cost alternative to fossil fuel based power generation. Currently, nearly 17% of the world’s total power generation is based on hydro resources and its share to renewable power generation is 70%. Although hydropower is produced in 150 countries, Nepal’s economically feasible hydropower generation capacity is one of the highest. However, this huge hydropower potential is still untapped. By harnessing the hydro resources Nepal can meet its domestic demand, create a surplus for export and generate employment for its citizens. This paper reviews Nepal’s current hydropower resources, projects, future plan and their impact on the economy. © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of the 1st International Conference on Energy and Power. Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of the 1st International Conference on Energy and Power. Keywords: Hydropower; Power Trading; Energy Security; Environmental Impact; Economic Impact.
1. Introduction The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal with over 28 million inhabitants is a land locked Himalayan state located between India (east, south and west) and China (north). Its land area is very close the entire area of Bangladesh (147,181 square kilometer). Nepal is a mountainous nation. Its altitude ranges from 60 m to 8,848 m (Mt Everest), the
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +61399256103; fax: +61399256108. E-mail address: [email protected]
1876-6102 © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of the 1st International Conference on Energy and Power. doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2017.03.188
582
Firoz Alam et al. / Energy Procedia 110 (2017) 581 – 585
highest altitude in the planet earth. It has three large river systems: a) Koshi River system, b) Gandaki (Narayani) River system, and c) Karnali (Goghra/Mahakali) River system which are shown in Fig. 1. Karnali (Goghra/Mahakali) River System
Gandaki (Narayani) River System Koshi River System
Fig. 1. Major river systems in Nepal, adapted from [8].
The Koshi River system is the largest and originated from the top four Himalayan peaks (Mt. Everest-8,850 m, Mt. Jannu-7,710 m, Mt. Makalu-8,462 m and Mt. Cho Oyu-8,201 m). The Koshi is also called Sapta Koshi for its seven Himalayan tributaries in eastern Nepal: Indrawati, Sun Koshi, Tama Koshi, Dudh Koshi, Liku, Arun, and Tamor. The Arun rises in Tibet some 150 km beyond Nepal's northern border. A tributary of the Sun Koshi, Bhote Koshi also originated in Tibet and is followed by the Arniko Highway connecting Kathmandu (Nepal) and Lhasa (Tibet-China) [1-3, 7-8]. The Gandaki/Narayani river system originated from Mt. Annapurna (8,091 m) and Mt. Manashu (8,163 m). The Gandaki/Narayani has seven Himalayan tributaries in the middle of Nepal: Daraudi, Seti Gandaki, Madi, Kali, Marsyandi, Budhi, and Trisuli. This is why the Gandaki/Narayani river system also called Sapta Gandaki. The river Kali Gandaki rises on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau and flows through the semi-independent Kingdom of Mustang, then between the 8,000 m Dhaulagiri and Annapurna ranges in the world's deepest valley. The Trisuli rises north of the international border inside Tibet. After the seven upper tributaries join, the river becomes the Narayani inside Nepal and is joined by the (East) Rapti from Chitwan Valley. After crossing into India, its name has been changed to Gandaki and finally joins the Ganges River system [1-3, 7-8]. The Karnali/Ghaghara originated from two mountain peaks: Api (7,132 m) and Kanjiroba (6,883 m). The Karnali drains western Nepal, with the Bheri and Seti as major tributaries. The upper Bheri drains Dolpo, a remote valley beyond the Dhaulagiri Himalaya. The upper Karnali rises inside Tibet near Lake Manasarovar and Mount Kailash. The area around these features is the hydrographic nexus of South Asia since it holds the sources of the Indus and its major tributary the Sutlej, the Karnali-a Ganges tributary and the Yarlung Tsangpo/Brahmaputra. The Mahakali or Kali along the Nepal-India border on the west joins the Karnali in India, where the river is known as Ghaghara [1-3, 7-8]. All three major river systems possess multiple tributaries rising in or around the high Himalaya maintaining substantial water flows during summer and spring. These rivers finally discharge water into the Ganges River system to the Bay of Bengal (Indian Ocean). The tributaries of these river systems cross the highest mountains in deep gorges,
583
Firoz Alam et al. / Energy Procedia 110 (2017) 581 – 585
flow south through the Middle Hills, then join in candelabra-like configuration before crossing the Mahabharat Range and emerging onto the plains with over 10,000 km2 area. All Nepalese rivers have strong water flow however these river systems do not support any significant commercial navigation due to deep gorges creating obstacles [1-3, 7-8]. 2. Hydro Resources of Nepal Due to steep gradient and mountainous topography, Nepal is blessed with the abundant hydro resources. The country’s three major river systems and their smaller tributaries offer Nepal to produce economically and technically feasible nearly 50,000 MW power. Nepal can potentially generate over 90,000 MW hydropower [1]. Despite having such huge hydropower, Nepal only generates around 847 MW from its hydro resources. Today nearly half of Nepal’s population have no access to grid connected power. The shortage of power hinders the industrialization and economic progress. Despite having huge hydro energy, only 1% energy need of Nepal is fulfilled by the hydropower. The energy mix of Nepal is dominated by fuel wood (68%), agricultural waste (15%), animal dung (8%) and imported fossil fuel (8%) [9]. Without increasing dependency on hydropower, it is hard for Nepal to reduce deforestation, soil erosion and flooding downstream in the Ganges plain. Shortage of firewood also compels farmers to burn animal dung-a much needed organic fertilizer for agriculture [9]. At present, Nepal’s total power generation is around 900 MW power of which Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) generates 539 MW (485 MW from hydro and 54 MW from liquid fuel). Independent Power Producers (IPP) generates 361 MW from hydro [6]. There are over 100 micro hydropower plants (not connected with the grid) generate around 5 MW in total [4]. Table 1 shows the major hydropower plants currently under operation in Nepal. As per the Department of Energy [2], the hydropower plant based capacity is classified into 3 categories: a) Large Hydropower Plant that generates power over 10 MW, b) Small Hydropower Plant which generates between 1 and 10 MW, and c) Micro Hydropower Plant that produces less than 1 MW. Additionally, occasionally hydropower plants are also classified based on their hydraulic head (defined as the distance from the water surface level to turbine level). Table 1. Major Hydropower Plants currently under operation in Nepal, adapted from [4-6] Name
Installed Capacity
River
MW
Established
Head
Cost US $
Year
m
million
1
Kaligandaki A
144.0
Gandaki
2002
115
355
2
Middle Marsyangdi
70.0
Marsyangdi
2008
108
257
3
Marsyangdi
69.0
Marsyangdi
1989
91
222
4
Kulekhani I
60.0
Kulekhani
1982
550
118
5
Kulekhani II
32.0
Kulekhani
1986
284
6
Trisuli
24.0
Trisuli
1967
54
-
7
Gandaki
15.0
Gandaki
-
130
-
8
Modi khola
14.8
Modi Khola
2000
67
30
9
Devighat
15.0
Trisuli
1984
40
8.5
10
Sunkoshi
10.0
Sunkoshi
1972
31
2
11
Puwa Khola
6.2
Puwa Khola
1999
304
16
Total
460.0
Although Nepal’s hydropower development started with 0.5 MW plant in Pharping near Kathmandu, 103 years ago (one of the earliest in Asia), as mentioned earlier Nepal’s total hydropower is around 847 MW today. The power shortage is so acute that the load shedding is over 4 to 5 hours each day. The shortfall of power (to meet the grid connected load requirements) is over 500 MW as peak power demand reaches over 1,300 MW. During lean session, the shortage of power becomes more severe. Nepal and India have developed a large-capacity power interconnection between Muzaffarpur of Bihar (India) and Dhalkebar of Nepal to exchange/trade power up to 1,000 MW [5, 7]. Currently Nepal imports power (~80 MW) through this interconnector. However, the current capacity of Nepal’s national transmission grid is an impediment as
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Firoz Alam et al. / Energy Procedia 110 (2017) 581 – 585
Nepal’s national transmission grid capacity is only 132 kV. The NEA has planned to upgrade the capacity of the line to 220 kV by the end of 2016 and finally its full capacity of 400 kV by the end of 2017. The World Bank has committed US $138 million for this interconnector project [5, 7]. Currently over 12 hydropower projects are under construction in Nepal. Some major under-construction projects are shown in Table 2. Several projects are supposed to be completed in 2016.2017. Due to recent severe earthquake, most hydro projects have been delayed [7]. The government of Nepal has developed a plan “2016–2026 National Energy Crisis Reduction and Electricity Development Decade in February 2016. This plan aims to end the current power shortages within three years and to generate surplus power for export [7]. Some prospective (future) power plants are shown in Table 3. However, no detailed feasibility study has been undertaken or reported about these hydro projects. It may be noted that most Nepalese power plants are “Run-of-River" type. Hence they generate power well during the monsoon season and less power during the dry season. Table 2. Major hydropower plants under construction, adapted from [4-7] Name
1
Upper Tamakosi
Installed Capacity MW 456
2
Tanahu
140
Seti
-
116
404
3
*Rasuwagadi
111
Trishuli
-
168
120
4
Madhya Bhotekoshi
102
Bhotekoshi
2017
236
156
5
Upper Trisuli 3A
60
Upper Trisuli
-
95
115
6 7 8 9 10 11
Sanjen 42.5 Upper Trisuli 3B 42 Rahughat 32 Chameliya 30 Upper Sanjen 14.6 Kulekhani III 14 Total 1,044.00 Note: NEA- Nepal Electricity Authority
River
Commission
Head
Tamakoshi
Year Mid 2016
m 822
Cost US $ million 355
Chilime Upper Trisuli Upper Karnali Trisuli Sanjen Kulekhani
-
67
Shareholders
NEA-41%, NTC-6%, CIT-2%, RBS-2%, Public-15%, Dolakha District-10%, EPF-24% NEA (ADB-120 m, JICA-184, Abu Dhabi Fund-30 m, European Investment Bank -70 m) NEA-18%, CHCL-33%, Public share-49% CHCL-38%, NEA-13%, Public share-49% NEA, China Exim Bank (1.75% rate) Indian Exim Bank
(NEA), NTC- Nepal Telecom, CIT- Citizen Investment Trust, RBS- Rastriya Beema Sansthan, and
EPF- Employees Provident Fund (EPF) Table 3. Major proposed hydropower plants, adapted from [4-7, 9] Name
Installed Capacity
River
MW
Commissioned
Head
Cost US $
Year
m
million
1
Dudh Koshi Storage
640.0
Koshi
-
-
-
2
Tamor Storage
530.0
Tamor
-
490
-
3
Upper Arun
335.0
Arun
-
-
-
4
Uttar Ganga Storage
300.0
Uttar Ganga
-
-
-
5
Chainpur Seti
140.0
Seti
-
-
6
Tamakoshi V
87.0
Tamakoshi
-
-
-
7
Upper Bheri
85.0
Bheri
-
-
-
8
Upper Modi A
42.0
Modi
-
-
-
9
Upper Modi
18.2
Modi
-
-
-
Total
2,177.2
Firoz Alam et al. / Energy Procedia 110 (2017) 581 – 585
3. Discussion and Conclusion Having a theoretical potential of nearly 90,000 MW hydropower at least 42,000 MW is technically and economically feasible. Unfortunately, Nepal is utilizing only 2% of it (i.e., 98% remains unutilized). On the other hand, over 60% population do not have access to grid connected power in Nepal. Moreover, the annual growth of power demand (grid connected) is over 10%. During the lean season, the power shortage becomes so acute that NEA needs to ration the power up to 12 hours each day. Nepal's prosperity is certainly dependent on the utilization of its hydro resources. However, it does neither have financial resources nor technical know-how to explore the full potential of hydro resources. For large scale investment in hydropower projects, Nepal needs to attract foreign sovereign and private investments as well as markets for power sale. Several countries led by India and China have been negotiating with Nepal for possible invest in large-scale hydropower projects. The economic development in the region (northern India, Bangladesh and central southern China) requires power especially green power. Nepal’s hydropower suits their needs well. As hydropower projects require huge capital investment, Nepal should pursue joint venture hydro projects with India and Bangladesh. This will allow peacefully develop Nepal’s hydropower as well secured power purchase agreement with India and Bangladesh for sustained power trade. Nepal can be one of the major green power exporters in the region. The revenue from power export will help to achieve economic prosperity and generate funds for education, healthcare, housing, agriculture and infrastructures. During hydropower developments in Nepal, some extra care is required to be undertaken. Nepal’s topography is unstable due to seismic activities. Hence, all hydropower plants with dam must be well planned and designed to mitigate the environmental impact. Most Himalayan Rivers contain huge quantities of sediment with hard abrasive particles. The region’s climate and tectonic conditions as well as human activities are highly conducive for erosion and sedimentation. Therefore, sediment management is paramount for the safety, reliability and longer life of infrastructures (hydropower dam, equipment, roads, bridges, irrigation systems and drinking water). References [1] Bergner M. Development of Nepal’s Hydroelectric Resources: Policy Alternatives. USA: University of Virginia; 2013. [2] Department of Energy, USA: http://energy.gov/eere/water/types-hydropower-plants [3] Classification of Hydroelectric Power Plants (2014), December 17, 2014: http://hubpages.com/technology/Classification-of-HydroelectricPower-Plants [4] A Year in Review: Fiscal Year 2014/2015, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Kathmandu, Nepal, accessed on 18 October 2016 from http://www.nea.org.np [5] http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/printedition/news/2014-11-10/power-up.html [6] Department of Electricity Development, Ministry of Energy, Nepal: accessed on 20 October 2016 from www.doed.gov.np [7] Hydropower Status Report (2016), International Hydropower Association, London, UK, accessed on 26 November 2016 from https://www.hydropower.org [8] Wekipedia, accessed on 12 November 2016 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Nepal [9] Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal (IPPAN), accessed on 10 December 2016 from http://www.ippan.org.np/HPinNepal.html
585
ScienceDirect Energy Procedia 110 (2017) 581 – 585
1st International Conference on Energy and Power, ICEP2016, 14-16 December 2016, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
A review of hydropower projects in Nepal Firoz Alama, Quamrul Alamb, Suman Rezac, SM Khurshid-ul-Alamc, Khondkar Salequeb, Harun Chowdhurya,* a
School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne 3000, Australia b Department of Management, Monash University, Australia c Prime Minister's Office, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh
Abstract Power generation using hydro resources offers sustainable, zero energy input cost, zero greenhouse gas emission, low operating and maintenance cost alternative to fossil fuel based power generation. Currently, nearly 17% of the world’s total power generation is based on hydro resources and its share to renewable power generation is 70%. Although hydropower is produced in 150 countries, Nepal’s economically feasible hydropower generation capacity is one of the highest. However, this huge hydropower potential is still untapped. By harnessing the hydro resources Nepal can meet its domestic demand, create a surplus for export and generate employment for its citizens. This paper reviews Nepal’s current hydropower resources, projects, future plan and their impact on the economy. © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of the 1st International Conference on Energy and Power. Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of the 1st International Conference on Energy and Power. Keywords: Hydropower; Power Trading; Energy Security; Environmental Impact; Economic Impact.
1. Introduction The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal with over 28 million inhabitants is a land locked Himalayan state located between India (east, south and west) and China (north). Its land area is very close the entire area of Bangladesh (147,181 square kilometer). Nepal is a mountainous nation. Its altitude ranges from 60 m to 8,848 m (Mt Everest), the
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +61399256103; fax: +61399256108. E-mail address: [email protected]
1876-6102 © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of the 1st International Conference on Energy and Power. doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2017.03.188
582
Firoz Alam et al. / Energy Procedia 110 (2017) 581 – 585
highest altitude in the planet earth. It has three large river systems: a) Koshi River system, b) Gandaki (Narayani) River system, and c) Karnali (Goghra/Mahakali) River system which are shown in Fig. 1. Karnali (Goghra/Mahakali) River System
Gandaki (Narayani) River System Koshi River System
Fig. 1. Major river systems in Nepal, adapted from [8].
The Koshi River system is the largest and originated from the top four Himalayan peaks (Mt. Everest-8,850 m, Mt. Jannu-7,710 m, Mt. Makalu-8,462 m and Mt. Cho Oyu-8,201 m). The Koshi is also called Sapta Koshi for its seven Himalayan tributaries in eastern Nepal: Indrawati, Sun Koshi, Tama Koshi, Dudh Koshi, Liku, Arun, and Tamor. The Arun rises in Tibet some 150 km beyond Nepal's northern border. A tributary of the Sun Koshi, Bhote Koshi also originated in Tibet and is followed by the Arniko Highway connecting Kathmandu (Nepal) and Lhasa (Tibet-China) [1-3, 7-8]. The Gandaki/Narayani river system originated from Mt. Annapurna (8,091 m) and Mt. Manashu (8,163 m). The Gandaki/Narayani has seven Himalayan tributaries in the middle of Nepal: Daraudi, Seti Gandaki, Madi, Kali, Marsyandi, Budhi, and Trisuli. This is why the Gandaki/Narayani river system also called Sapta Gandaki. The river Kali Gandaki rises on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau and flows through the semi-independent Kingdom of Mustang, then between the 8,000 m Dhaulagiri and Annapurna ranges in the world's deepest valley. The Trisuli rises north of the international border inside Tibet. After the seven upper tributaries join, the river becomes the Narayani inside Nepal and is joined by the (East) Rapti from Chitwan Valley. After crossing into India, its name has been changed to Gandaki and finally joins the Ganges River system [1-3, 7-8]. The Karnali/Ghaghara originated from two mountain peaks: Api (7,132 m) and Kanjiroba (6,883 m). The Karnali drains western Nepal, with the Bheri and Seti as major tributaries. The upper Bheri drains Dolpo, a remote valley beyond the Dhaulagiri Himalaya. The upper Karnali rises inside Tibet near Lake Manasarovar and Mount Kailash. The area around these features is the hydrographic nexus of South Asia since it holds the sources of the Indus and its major tributary the Sutlej, the Karnali-a Ganges tributary and the Yarlung Tsangpo/Brahmaputra. The Mahakali or Kali along the Nepal-India border on the west joins the Karnali in India, where the river is known as Ghaghara [1-3, 7-8]. All three major river systems possess multiple tributaries rising in or around the high Himalaya maintaining substantial water flows during summer and spring. These rivers finally discharge water into the Ganges River system to the Bay of Bengal (Indian Ocean). The tributaries of these river systems cross the highest mountains in deep gorges,
583
Firoz Alam et al. / Energy Procedia 110 (2017) 581 – 585
flow south through the Middle Hills, then join in candelabra-like configuration before crossing the Mahabharat Range and emerging onto the plains with over 10,000 km2 area. All Nepalese rivers have strong water flow however these river systems do not support any significant commercial navigation due to deep gorges creating obstacles [1-3, 7-8]. 2. Hydro Resources of Nepal Due to steep gradient and mountainous topography, Nepal is blessed with the abundant hydro resources. The country’s three major river systems and their smaller tributaries offer Nepal to produce economically and technically feasible nearly 50,000 MW power. Nepal can potentially generate over 90,000 MW hydropower [1]. Despite having such huge hydropower, Nepal only generates around 847 MW from its hydro resources. Today nearly half of Nepal’s population have no access to grid connected power. The shortage of power hinders the industrialization and economic progress. Despite having huge hydro energy, only 1% energy need of Nepal is fulfilled by the hydropower. The energy mix of Nepal is dominated by fuel wood (68%), agricultural waste (15%), animal dung (8%) and imported fossil fuel (8%) [9]. Without increasing dependency on hydropower, it is hard for Nepal to reduce deforestation, soil erosion and flooding downstream in the Ganges plain. Shortage of firewood also compels farmers to burn animal dung-a much needed organic fertilizer for agriculture [9]. At present, Nepal’s total power generation is around 900 MW power of which Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) generates 539 MW (485 MW from hydro and 54 MW from liquid fuel). Independent Power Producers (IPP) generates 361 MW from hydro [6]. There are over 100 micro hydropower plants (not connected with the grid) generate around 5 MW in total [4]. Table 1 shows the major hydropower plants currently under operation in Nepal. As per the Department of Energy [2], the hydropower plant based capacity is classified into 3 categories: a) Large Hydropower Plant that generates power over 10 MW, b) Small Hydropower Plant which generates between 1 and 10 MW, and c) Micro Hydropower Plant that produces less than 1 MW. Additionally, occasionally hydropower plants are also classified based on their hydraulic head (defined as the distance from the water surface level to turbine level). Table 1. Major Hydropower Plants currently under operation in Nepal, adapted from [4-6] Name
Installed Capacity
River
MW
Established
Head
Cost US $
Year
m
million
1
Kaligandaki A
144.0
Gandaki
2002
115
355
2
Middle Marsyangdi
70.0
Marsyangdi
2008
108
257
3
Marsyangdi
69.0
Marsyangdi
1989
91
222
4
Kulekhani I
60.0
Kulekhani
1982
550
118
5
Kulekhani II
32.0
Kulekhani
1986
284
6
Trisuli
24.0
Trisuli
1967
54
-
7
Gandaki
15.0
Gandaki
-
130
-
8
Modi khola
14.8
Modi Khola
2000
67
30
9
Devighat
15.0
Trisuli
1984
40
8.5
10
Sunkoshi
10.0
Sunkoshi
1972
31
2
11
Puwa Khola
6.2
Puwa Khola
1999
304
16
Total
460.0
Although Nepal’s hydropower development started with 0.5 MW plant in Pharping near Kathmandu, 103 years ago (one of the earliest in Asia), as mentioned earlier Nepal’s total hydropower is around 847 MW today. The power shortage is so acute that the load shedding is over 4 to 5 hours each day. The shortfall of power (to meet the grid connected load requirements) is over 500 MW as peak power demand reaches over 1,300 MW. During lean session, the shortage of power becomes more severe. Nepal and India have developed a large-capacity power interconnection between Muzaffarpur of Bihar (India) and Dhalkebar of Nepal to exchange/trade power up to 1,000 MW [5, 7]. Currently Nepal imports power (~80 MW) through this interconnector. However, the current capacity of Nepal’s national transmission grid is an impediment as
584
Firoz Alam et al. / Energy Procedia 110 (2017) 581 – 585
Nepal’s national transmission grid capacity is only 132 kV. The NEA has planned to upgrade the capacity of the line to 220 kV by the end of 2016 and finally its full capacity of 400 kV by the end of 2017. The World Bank has committed US $138 million for this interconnector project [5, 7]. Currently over 12 hydropower projects are under construction in Nepal. Some major under-construction projects are shown in Table 2. Several projects are supposed to be completed in 2016.2017. Due to recent severe earthquake, most hydro projects have been delayed [7]. The government of Nepal has developed a plan “2016–2026 National Energy Crisis Reduction and Electricity Development Decade in February 2016. This plan aims to end the current power shortages within three years and to generate surplus power for export [7]. Some prospective (future) power plants are shown in Table 3. However, no detailed feasibility study has been undertaken or reported about these hydro projects. It may be noted that most Nepalese power plants are “Run-of-River" type. Hence they generate power well during the monsoon season and less power during the dry season. Table 2. Major hydropower plants under construction, adapted from [4-7] Name
1
Upper Tamakosi
Installed Capacity MW 456
2
Tanahu
140
Seti
-
116
404
3
*Rasuwagadi
111
Trishuli
-
168
120
4
Madhya Bhotekoshi
102
Bhotekoshi
2017
236
156
5
Upper Trisuli 3A
60
Upper Trisuli
-
95
115
6 7 8 9 10 11
Sanjen 42.5 Upper Trisuli 3B 42 Rahughat 32 Chameliya 30 Upper Sanjen 14.6 Kulekhani III 14 Total 1,044.00 Note: NEA- Nepal Electricity Authority
River
Commission
Head
Tamakoshi
Year Mid 2016
m 822
Cost US $ million 355
Chilime Upper Trisuli Upper Karnali Trisuli Sanjen Kulekhani
-
67
Shareholders
NEA-41%, NTC-6%, CIT-2%, RBS-2%, Public-15%, Dolakha District-10%, EPF-24% NEA (ADB-120 m, JICA-184, Abu Dhabi Fund-30 m, European Investment Bank -70 m) NEA-18%, CHCL-33%, Public share-49% CHCL-38%, NEA-13%, Public share-49% NEA, China Exim Bank (1.75% rate) Indian Exim Bank
(NEA), NTC- Nepal Telecom, CIT- Citizen Investment Trust, RBS- Rastriya Beema Sansthan, and
EPF- Employees Provident Fund (EPF) Table 3. Major proposed hydropower plants, adapted from [4-7, 9] Name
Installed Capacity
River
MW
Commissioned
Head
Cost US $
Year
m
million
1
Dudh Koshi Storage
640.0
Koshi
-
-
-
2
Tamor Storage
530.0
Tamor
-
490
-
3
Upper Arun
335.0
Arun
-
-
-
4
Uttar Ganga Storage
300.0
Uttar Ganga
-
-
-
5
Chainpur Seti
140.0
Seti
-
-
6
Tamakoshi V
87.0
Tamakoshi
-
-
-
7
Upper Bheri
85.0
Bheri
-
-
-
8
Upper Modi A
42.0
Modi
-
-
-
9
Upper Modi
18.2
Modi
-
-
-
Total
2,177.2
Firoz Alam et al. / Energy Procedia 110 (2017) 581 – 585
3. Discussion and Conclusion Having a theoretical potential of nearly 90,000 MW hydropower at least 42,000 MW is technically and economically feasible. Unfortunately, Nepal is utilizing only 2% of it (i.e., 98% remains unutilized). On the other hand, over 60% population do not have access to grid connected power in Nepal. Moreover, the annual growth of power demand (grid connected) is over 10%. During the lean season, the power shortage becomes so acute that NEA needs to ration the power up to 12 hours each day. Nepal's prosperity is certainly dependent on the utilization of its hydro resources. However, it does neither have financial resources nor technical know-how to explore the full potential of hydro resources. For large scale investment in hydropower projects, Nepal needs to attract foreign sovereign and private investments as well as markets for power sale. Several countries led by India and China have been negotiating with Nepal for possible invest in large-scale hydropower projects. The economic development in the region (northern India, Bangladesh and central southern China) requires power especially green power. Nepal’s hydropower suits their needs well. As hydropower projects require huge capital investment, Nepal should pursue joint venture hydro projects with India and Bangladesh. This will allow peacefully develop Nepal’s hydropower as well secured power purchase agreement with India and Bangladesh for sustained power trade. Nepal can be one of the major green power exporters in the region. The revenue from power export will help to achieve economic prosperity and generate funds for education, healthcare, housing, agriculture and infrastructures. During hydropower developments in Nepal, some extra care is required to be undertaken. Nepal’s topography is unstable due to seismic activities. Hence, all hydropower plants with dam must be well planned and designed to mitigate the environmental impact. Most Himalayan Rivers contain huge quantities of sediment with hard abrasive particles. The region’s climate and tectonic conditions as well as human activities are highly conducive for erosion and sedimentation. Therefore, sediment management is paramount for the safety, reliability and longer life of infrastructures (hydropower dam, equipment, roads, bridges, irrigation systems and drinking water). References [1] Bergner M. Development of Nepal’s Hydroelectric Resources: Policy Alternatives. USA: University of Virginia; 2013. [2] Department of Energy, USA: http://energy.gov/eere/water/types-hydropower-plants [3] Classification of Hydroelectric Power Plants (2014), December 17, 2014: http://hubpages.com/technology/Classification-of-HydroelectricPower-Plants [4] A Year in Review: Fiscal Year 2014/2015, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Kathmandu, Nepal, accessed on 18 October 2016 from http://www.nea.org.np [5] http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/printedition/news/2014-11-10/power-up.html [6] Department of Electricity Development, Ministry of Energy, Nepal: accessed on 20 October 2016 from www.doed.gov.np [7] Hydropower Status Report (2016), International Hydropower Association, London, UK, accessed on 26 November 2016 from https://www.hydropower.org [8] Wekipedia, accessed on 12 November 2016 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Nepal [9] Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal (IPPAN), accessed on 10 December 2016 from http://www.ippan.org.np/HPinNepal.html
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