Nepal

Community energy access

MARKET OVERVIEW

In March 2020 the Government of Nepal published data confirming that over 2.8 million Nepalese people still did not have access to electricity. With the subsequent impacts of COVID-19, it is believed that this figure may have now increased further, leaving over 10% of the population without access to electricity, and with many of the country’s more remote communities relying on expensive, intermittent local diesel generation where access does exist.

In August 2021, Achelous Energy signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nepal Energy Foundation to undertake a 200kW FITS pilot project in Nepal. This project will deliver clean renewable baseload power to a community who are either currently reliant on diesel generation, or who have no means of energy access at all.

CUSTOM VALUE PROPOSITION

Provision of continuous renewable power to off-grid communities and businesses, enabling demonstrable impacts towards advancing education, health and economic growth Sustainable Development Goals.

With local diesel generation costs estimated by NEF at > US $0.30/kWh and above, FITS will be able to supply renewable power as a cheaper, direct alternative to local diesel generation.

TARGET REGIONS AND PROGRESS

Achelous Energy’s ongoing work with the Nepal Energy Foundation has identified three key regions of Nepal for potential FITS project development: Tamakoshi, Kaligandaki and Trishuli.

All three regions have large population centres with limited or no energy access, and all additionally have large stretches of fast-flowing rivers running through them.

KEY STATISTICS

  • Nepal consumes 6.4TWh/year of electricity (2020, IEA)

  • Nepal imports as much as 44% of its electricity from India in winter months (2020, Republica Nepal)

  • Achelous Energy has identified 30+ sites suitable for FITS deployment

OCTOBER 2021

In Q3 of 2021, NEF started a package of work on behalf of Achelous Energy to engage off-taker communities in all three targeted regions, and to provide initial river resource survey studies, in preparation for the pilot project.