KATHMANDU, Feb. 6: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) adopted a policy of promoting the Private–Public Partnership (PPP) to construct micro-hydropower projects and development of alternative energy in Asia and the Pacific Region to address the existing energy crisis.
As per the programme, the ADB would provide additional economic and technical assistance to the organizations that are working in the sector in the countries concerned for skill enhancement.
During the ´International workshop on sharing Business Models and Scaling-up of Mini-grids in Asia and the Pacific´ jointly organized by the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) and the ADB here today, ADB expressed commitment to provide support in poverty alleviation through energy.
Representatives of private banks in Nepal, programme coordinator of the AEPC, energy experts of different 10 countries including India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, the Maldives, the Philippines, and Thailand have been participating in the workshop that will be concluded on Thursday.
During the workshop, different country representatives have discussed the efforts in the energy development sector in the Asia-Pacific region.
Also, the two-day meeting would hold discussions how could the private sector be attracted, said Executive Director of the Centre, Prof. Dr. Govindaraj Pokhrel.
Similarly, Keshav Prasad Bhattarai, Secretary at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, said Nepal has been investing for the promotion of hydropower and alternative energy keeping the sector in high priority to resolve the energy crisis in the country.
Danish Ambassador to Nepal, Morten Jespersen, said the energy crisis would affect the economic productivity and that the alternative energy should be promoted in the rural areas as well.
Director of the UNDP Country Director in Nepal, Soko Nada, said the base for economic and social development was energy and that the UNDP has been providing necessary support in the economic and technical sectors.
Priyantha Wijayatunga of ADB Office in Nepal and climate change expert Jiwan Acharya said the bank has taken the policy to promote micro-hydropower projects and alternative energy by encouraging the PPP
Source : RSS
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‘PPP can resolve power crisis’
KATHMANDU: Scaling up mini-grids through public-private partnerships (PPP) is critical to achieving universal access to modern energy services‚ concluded delegates attending an international workshop jointly organised by Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) Nepal here‚ today.
“Small-scale renewable energy systems can help solve Nepal’s energy problems without contributing to air pollution and to carbon emissions that cause global warming‚” said senior climate change specialist at Asian Development Bank Jiwan Acharya on the last day of the two-day workshop on ‘Sharing Business Models and Scaling up Mini Grids in Asia and the Pacific’.
Minister of science‚ technology and environment Keshab Man Shakya concluded the workshop today after 150 participants shared perspectives from energy enterprises‚ investors and development partners on how to scale up successful business models through PPP.
A mini-grid is a small electricity network that uses sources like hydro‚ solar and wind to generate enough power to provide a cluster of towns and villages with reliable supply of electricity that meets local demand.
“Nepal’s population is dispersed across a wide and difficult to reach terrain where it is technically and financially difficult to extend national grid‚” said secretary of ministry of science‚ technology and environment Keshab Prasad Bhattarai‚ adding that mini-grids are an important solution to bringing energy to more communities in the country.
AEPC launched National Rural and Renewable Energy Programme in July‚ 2012‚ and it will seek to scale up renewable energy technologies based on the key learnings from this workshop‚ according to executive director of AEPC Dr Govind Raj Pokharel.
During the workshop‚ Alternative Energy Promotion Centre shared experiences of a recently developed mini-grid system in Baglung‚ which provides electricity to 1‚200 households through six microhydro sites generating a total of 107 kW.
An innovative example of the Bushlight Model — Bushlight Australia and Bushlight India — was also shared at the workshop‚ highlighting that the Bushlight model distinguishes itself from existing models by enabling communities with the resources‚ capacity and motivation‚ the opportunity to access electricity that is reliable 24 hours a day‚ seven days a week‚ equitable‚ each consumer is assured access to a fixed amount of energy every day of a known amount‚ and residents determine their own ‘daily energy budget’ through the facilitated ‘energy budgeting’ process apart from a known cost as tariff levels are set prior to energy budgeting based on realistic lifecycle system financial models.
Thirty-seven per cent of country’s rural population still has no access to electricity.
Enterprises are ready to develop more mini-grid projects in the country‚ but they need help with business planning‚ design and access to funds.
Source : The Himalayan Times
