Kathmandu: Since projects based solely on river flow (run-of-river) cannot guarantee energy security, there has been a growing call to build reservoir-based projects. The main purpose of reservoir projects is to store water during the rainy season and release it in winter to manage electricity demand.
Although Nepal currently has an installed electricity capacity of more than 3500 megawatts, production during the dry season remains less than one-third. For this reason, industrial customers are still experiencing load shedding during the dry season.
There is a fear that even household consumers might suffer. Because of this, there seems to be a growing consensus that reservoir-based projects are the only viable option. However, the current leadership of the Nepal Electricity Authority favors building ‘pump storage’ projects instead of reservoir-based ones.
Since taking leadership of the authority for the second time, Managing Director Hitendra Dev Shakya has been advocating for this. He emphasized this point while releasing the authority’s white paper. In a recent press conference as well, he stressed the need to build ‘pump storage’ projects.
In a discussion with journalists, Shakya mentioned that starting from the upcoming fiscal year, construction of ‘pump storage’ projects will be advanced at places like Kulekhani and Sisneri. “Sustainable energy security is my priority. For this, sustainable energy plans must be made. However, if large reservoir projects are started today, they will take 10 to 15 years to complete,” Shakya said. “We don’t know where technology will be in 15 years. Therefore, there is no alternative to building large pump storage projects instead of reservoir-based ones.”
What is a pump storage project?
According to the pump storage project, there are two reservoirs in the river—one located upstream and the other downstream. During peak electricity demand, water is released from the upper reservoir to the lower one. Electricity is generated from this flow to meet the demand. The water released in this way stays in the lower reservoir.
At night or during other times when electricity demand is low, water from the lower reservoir is pumped back to the upper reservoir. This prevents electricity from being wasted when demand is low and shortages when demand is high. In contrast, reservoir-based projects store all the rainwater during the monsoon season. This stored water can be released as needed during winter, dry seasons, or any other time to manage energy demand.
Reservoir-based projects generally involve high costs and cover large areas. The Budhigandaki Hydroelectric Project, with a capacity of 1200 megawatts, is estimated to cost more than 300 billion rupees. Since its construction period is also long, he says that projects which can be built in a shorter time and at comparatively lower costs are preferable.
Similarly, he plans to place batteries near large industrial areas to prevent ongoing tripping. He said there is a plan to install 100 megawatts of batteries each in Bhairahawa, Birgunj, Biratnagar, and Nepalgunj, to be completed within one year.
“Right now, whenever the word ‘battery’ is mentioned, rumors spread that they will be installed in every household. That’s not the case. If 100 megawatts of batteries are placed in areas with large industries, the problem of tripping will decrease,” he said. “These batteries are charged by solar power during the day and by hydro power at night. When electricity is supplied to industries through batteries, load management becomes easier in the end.”
Energy storage plan in the Kathmandu Valley
Shakya said that currently, the Kathmandu Valley is experiencing more tripping problems than outside areas, and to address this, there is a plan to install batteries with a capacity of 100 megawatts in Bhaktapur or Matatirth. Along with this, preparations are also underway to add transformers in necessary locations.
“The incident that happened in Syuchatar some time ago has shown that we should move forward by adding another transformer and feeder, not by increasing the capacity of the transformer. We have been identifying for that as well. That will increase the effectiveness of our system,” he said.
He further explained that, along with overhead feeders, underground cable feeders are also expected to help strengthen the system. Additionally, he informed that there is a strategy to increase the capacity of high-voltage transformers at substations as well as the transformers on poles connected to feeders.
He stated that when there is a problem in one part of a long feeder, it can lead to power outages in all areas connected to it, and that a strategy has been developed to address this issue. “We identify even small technical problems and work on solutions. By next year, consumers will feel that something has improved—we are working toward that,” he said.
Focus on transmission and distribution lines
Managing Director Shakya stated that although electricity production is increasing, the supply is being affected due to the lack of corresponding expansion in transmission lines. He emphasized that there is no alternative to rapidly developing transmission and distribution lines. “The Authority will mobilize resources by any means to move forward with the expansion of transmission lines,” he said. “If we fail to do so, even small incidents will continue to disrupt electricity supply (tripping).”
He mentioned that while there are not many obstacles in the distribution lines, there are issues in the transmission lines that need to be addressed moving forward. “After my appointment, I studied which policies were causing problems and where. I didn’t find much difficulty caused by the law itself,” he said. “According to the provisions in the land use policy and regulations, if a few policy decisions are made by the Cabinet, many of the bottlenecks could be resolved. We are preparing to proceed accordingly.”
NEA’s Response Team for Disasters
The Nepal Electricity Authority has also announced plans to form a response team to immediately address possible disruptions to electricity supply caused by various types of disasters that occur during the monsoon, such as floods, landslides, storms, hail, and heavy rainfall. “We will deploy response teams in every province and distribution center,” he said. “We have begun preparations to establish these teams to promptly resolve any disruptions to electricity supply caused by monsoon-related disasters.”
He also informed that these teams will immediately seek solutions using the available resources, tools, and manpower in their respective areas.
“We are not in favor of distancing ourselves from industrialists”
Shakya clarified that the board of directors has given a deadline until the mid-June for customers using electricity through dedicated and trunk lines with outstanding dues to undergo a review. He emphasized that the Authority is not in favor of dragging this issue out for a long time.
He also stressed the need to find an immediate solution—by any means—stating that the prolonged dispute over this issue has created problems for both industrialists and the state.
He emphasized that the Authority is no longer following a strategy of distancing itself from industrialists as in the past, and therefore, industrialists should also work within the boundaries of regulations to find solutions to the problems.
Source: Ratopati
