Elsevier

Renewable Energy

Volume 36, Issue 11, November 2011, Pages 3203-3210
Renewable Energy

The potential of a renewable energy technology for rural electrification in Nepal: A case study from Tangting

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2011.03.012Get rights and content

Abstract

Nepal, one of the least developed countries, is characterized by low per capita energy consumption and hugely dominated by traditional energy sources. Despite having enormous potential of hydro-electricity, only 50% of the total population has access to grid electricity. Firewood is the primary energy source for domestic purposes in rural environments. Due to geographical remoteness, a scattered consumer, higher costs of supply and maintenance, low consumption and low level of households’ income linking the rural areas to national electricity grid is difficult and implausible. In order to solve the energy problem in rural areas, Nepal’s government has initiated the production and distribution of several renewable energy technologies. Among several renewable technologies, micro-hydropower has been one of the most promising and widely adopted decentralized technologies to distribute electricity in rural areas. This article begins with a general overview of energy situation in Nepal. Present status and perspective of micro-hydro plants have also been discussed. Similarly, the dynamics of the relationship between electricity and socio-economic development has been analyzed by means of a typical rural electrification project in Tangting, Nepal by assessing the impacts of electricity on health, education, environment, and income in the village. The community has greatly benefitted from the arrival of environment friendly and affordable electricity. It has been concluded that the task of providing electricity to more remote and isolated villages is still challenging in Nepal. More systematic and comprehensive study supported by research and development is required to extend micro-hydro based electricity in more remote and poor communities of Nepal.

Highlights

► This article begins with a general overview of energy situation in Nepal. ► Present status and perspective of micro-hydro plants have also been discussed. ► Micro-hydro scheme has been found one of the most successful models for the production of clean, environmental friendly and cost effective source of energy. ► Improved health, increased socio-economic condition and saved time for women are some of the major benefits to the users. ► It has been concluded that the task of providing electricity to more remote and isolated villages is still challenging in Nepal.

Introduction

Energy, especially electricity is universally recognized as one of the most fundamental inputs for social and economic development [1], [2]. It is indispensable for securing a reasonable standard of living, as it fulfills basic human requirements by promoting health, education, employment, and infrastructure development [3]. Therefore, per capita energy consumption is considered as one of the major determinants as well as indicator of economic development of a nation [1].

However, increasing access to electricity in developing countries has proved to be expensive and unrealistic, especially in rural areas [2]. In general, rural electrification (RE) programs tend to be characterized by low load factor, high upfront equipment costs and low population density with scattered low-income consumers [4]. As a result, many developing countries are suffering from notorious energy-poor, especially in terms of electricity, where more than 1.6 billion populations still lacks electricity and hence, are compelled to rely on ineffective and health hazardous traditional energy sources such as firewood, agricultural residues, charcoal, and animal dung [5], [6].

Nepal is a mountainous country and has a large number of remote villages that do not have access to electricity. Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world with a GDP per capita income of US$470 (estimated fiscal year 2009), where more than 80% of the total population live in countryside [7], [8]. In addition, about 10 million people, out of Nepal’s estimated population of 28.5 million (at the end of 2006), live in such geographically inaccessible locations (5–18 days walk) that neither a road nor the national electricity grid will reach them, within a foreseeable future [8]. Due to geographical remoteness, scattered consumers, higher costs of supply and maintenance, low consumption and low level of households income linking the rural areas to national electricity grid is difficult and implausible [9], [10]. The absence of access to regular electric energy violates the paths toward economic sustainability in rural environment since, lack of access to electricity impede rural development by increasing poverty, restricting access to resources and finally increase migratory flow to large cities [11]. According to Zahnd and Kimber [8], poverty levels become more rampant the more remote and inaccessible the communities are, while cost of electrification is directly proportional to transport and maintenance costs.

Despite having a huge potential of hydro-electricity, country has not been able to tap the potential of water resources due to lack of technical and financial capability. Currently, Nepal is facing a huge shortage of electricity supply and is among the lowest per capita energy consuming countries in the world [1]. In addition, there is considerable disparity in electricity distribution and consumption between rural and urban areas, where rural populations are often neglected due to high costs and technical difficulties [12]. Consequently, more than 50% of the total population does not have access to electricity and entirely depend on traditional energy sources such as firewood, agricultural residues, and animal dung for meeting their daily energy requirements including heating, cooking and lighting [13], [14]. However, forests which are the main resource of traditional energy have already been exploited beyond their sustainable capacity and are becoming scarce [1]. Use of traditional biomass energy has a direct chronic impact on the health of women and children in particular, due to enormous indoor air pollution and causes respiratory diseases, bronchitis, asthma and blindness [5], [15].

Considering the diverse hilly and mountainous topography, growing demand for energy, depletion of forest, limited financial capability, and increasing concerns of high health risk related to unsustainable burning of traditional energy sources and environmental issues have challenged the Government of Nepal (GoN) to search other alternatives to provide sustainable and affordable forms of energy mainly through the utilization of renewable energy sources in rural areas of Nepal [1], [14], [16]. Therefore, in an endeavor to extend renewable energy outreach to the rural communities, the GoN initiated the adoption of small-scale renewable energy technologies (RETs) such as mini and micro-hydro, biogas, and solar throughout the country [14]. Among several other RETs, micro-hydropower (MHP) scheme is considered as one of the most viable and promising indigenous technologies to meet rural electrification in Nepal because of its simplicity in management and operation as well as cost effectiveness [16], [17].

This article begins with a general overview of energy situation in Nepal. The main objective of this paper was to investigate the potential impacts of a renewable energy in a rural community. In this paper, we analyzed the dynamics of the relationship between electricity and socio-economic development by means of a typical rural electrification project in Tangting, Nepal by assessing the impacts of a micro-hydro based electricity on health, education, environment, and income in the village. This study provides insights in the promotion of MHP schemes in the Trans-Himalayan region of Nepal and serves as an input for local authorities to evaluate, review and improve current rural electrification scenario.

Section snippets

Current status of energy situation in Nepal

Energy sources have been categorized under three broad types in Nepal: traditional, commercial and renewable [1]. Traditional energy sources include biomass fuels such as firewood, agriculture residues, and animal dung used in the traditional rudimentary cooking stoves. Commercial sources of energy are petroleum, coal, and electricity. Renewable energy sources include mini and micro-hydro, solar, wind, biogas and briquettes.

Nepal is spending a major share of export earnings to import fossil

Micro-hydropower: a potential source of energy in Nepal

The provision of electricity to remote, rural communities is challenging in Nepal. The marginal cost of grid extension is greatly increased in rural areas by physical isolation, smaller community sizes, lower electricity loads, and with scattered low-income consumers [13]. Most of the villages, especially in remote Himalayan areas are isolated from modern means of energy supplies and are forced to meet their basic energy requirements by using candles, kerosene, and precious trees for firewood

Methodology for the case study

In recent years rural electrification becomes the priority sector for both government and a number of donors programmes in Nepal. As extension of national grid to rural area is difficult and expensive, the production and distribution of small-scale RETs are given more priority for electrifying rural areas in Nepal. Among the several RETs, MHP scheme is the most widely adopted RETs in the rural parts of the country.

Due to low level of research, a detailed rural energy data is typically not

Project description

The primary goal of Tangting MHP plant was to reduce the usage of firewood by increasing access to clean and smoke free energy in the village. Hence, the ultimate goal of the project was to promote conservation of natural resources and sustainable community development. The MHP plant was installed in Tangting in 1996 with an output capacity of 27 kW under the Alternative Energy Programme (AEP) established by the ACAP. This MHP plant uses water from the nearby river Ghatte Khola, which is about

Lessons learnt from Tangting MHP project

Tangting MHP plant is managed and operated by the local community. The community has organized a separate sub-committee for managing the MHP plant, called the village electrification committee (VEC), and appointed a local plant manager. However, Tangting MHP plant is suffering from a series of problems including lack of funds, technical and non-technical problems, low load factors, and ineffective policing measures.

According to the interviewed MHP plant manager, the current capacity of the

Conclusion

Energy is undoubtedly a fundamental means for securing basic needs of life support system and developmental efforts. However, despite having enormous potential for hydro-electricity generation in Nepal, the share of electricity in national energy consumption is 2%. Nepal has a low electrification rate, in which nearly 50% of the total population has access to electricity, mainly to those living in urban areas. Because of the lack of other commercial energy sources, the country heavily relies on

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to extend sincere thanks to the Agricultural and Life Sciences Research Institute at Kangwon National University for providing financial support to conduct this research.

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