Government of Nepal

Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation

Alternative Energy Promotion Centre

Making Renewable Energy Mainstream Supply in Nepal

Achievement

Overview

Wind Energy technology has become one of the most economical and proven renewable energy technology among all other renewable energy technology in recent years. Today, electricity generating wind turbines employ proven and tested technology, and provide a secure and sustainable energy supply.  It is an environment benign resource and may compete in terms of generation cost to other conventional source of generation, for example hydropower plants in the context of Nepal.  Wind energy could be an emerging as a major share of the energy mix and can be occupied a share up to certain percent of the total energy demand of the country

Unfortunately, it is still unexploited in utility scale however it can be very good alternative to address the gap between demand and supply of electricity in the country. Solar and wind Energy Resource Assessment (SWERA) project has made an attempt to map the wind resource potential in Nepal and has shown a very good prospect of wind energy development in Nepal with prediction of about 3,000 MW of wind power generation in Nepal. Recently two wind turbines each of 5 kW capacities with 2 kW of solar hybrid system has been implemented supported by Asian Development Bank in Nawalparasi, Dhaubadi VDC apart from small wind solar hybrid system pilot projects in various places of the country.  Similarly AEPC has collected hourly wind speed data in 10 different locations of the country.

 

Achievements

i.  Data acquisition

   AEPC has achieved wind data over the following ten stations from different potential areas of the country.

• Okhaldhunga (Apr 2001-Aug 2005) 

• Nagarkot (Bhaktapur) (Jun 2001-Apr 2006) 

• Butwal (Rupandehi) (Mar 2001-Aug 2003) 

• Kagbeni (Mustang) (Apr 2001-Feb 2006) 

• Thini (Mustang) (Apr 2001-Jun 2007) 

• Batase Danda (Palpa) (Sep 2003-Dec 2006) 

• Ramechhap (Jul 2005-Oct 2007) 

• Phakhel (Makwanpur) (Oct 2007-April 2009) 

• AEPC building (Feb 2009-end of March 2009)

• Neta (Pyuthan) (Dec 2007-Feb 2011)

• Mustang (2012-2014 on going)

• Morang (2013-2014 on going)

• Sindhuli (2013-2014 on going)

 

ii. Small wind-solar hybrid system promotion

The establishment of wind - solar hybrid system of 400 watt with 150 watt solar power projects in six sites was installed. More than 19 households of dalit in Pyuthan including one Musgit and two secondary schools; one in pyuthan and one in Palpa was directly benefitted from these micro system projects. In the fiscal year 065/66 two more wind turbines had been added in Haibung VDC of Sindupalchock. More than 29 households were benefited by this project. The project sites were identified considering factors for safety, availability of attendants, cost effectiveness and demonstrability to rural community as well as sufficient availability of wind resource however due to lack of maintenance few of them are in malfunction.

 

iii. Solar and Wind Energy Resource Assessment (SWERA) project

The Solar and Wind Energy Resource Assessment (SWERA) project, a first of its kind in Nepal, has been executed by Alternative Energy Promotion Center in joint in-country Partnership with Center for Energy studies/ IOE with the support from United Nations Environment Program/ Global Environment Facility (UNEP/GEF) in 2003. The summary of the output of the SWERA project is as below.

The analysis carried out throughout the country has shown potential area of about 6074 sq. km with wind power density greater than 300 watt/m2. From the total area of 6074 sq. km only 10 percent has been analyzed and it has been found that more than 3000 MW of electricity could be generated with consideration of the installed capacity of 5 MW per sq.km and by the study it has been also noticed that the most potential areas lie in conservation areas of high and middle mountains of the country. 

 

iv. 10 kW wind with 2 kW of Solar Hybrid power project

Two wind turbines each of 5 kW capacities with 2 kW of solar hybrid system has been implemented in Nawalparsi, Dhaubadi VDC supported by Asian Development Bank.

 

V   Studies

• Execution for development of technical specification and standards for small wind systems of 200 & 400 watt capacity with the funding support by Practical Action Nepal.

• Detail study of wind power generation system in Pyuthan district.

• Formulation of standard guidelines for the prequalification of wind power companies.

• Impact analysis study of Integrating wind power with National grid.

• Wind energy Data Base Management System.

• 50 meter wind mast has been installed in Tangbey, Mustang and studies on going.

• Pre-feasibility & Socio Economic Survey for Implementation of water pumping system at Pokhari Narayansthan VDC in             Kavrepalanchowk District.

• Identification of 20 potential sites and carryout feasibility study for the implementation of wind solar hybrid projects in Nepal.

• Identification of one most potential site and carry out “Detail Feasibility Study (Preparation of DPR) for implementation of  wind-solar hybrid Project in Nepal.

• Installation of 30 meter high met tower (wind measurement station) and monitoring of wind data for one year in Jaibare  Morang and Bhorleni Sindhuli sites of the country.