Towards a Reliable Affordable and Sustainable Energy Sector in Nepal
NEWS UPDATE
- Nepal has launched it's largest Solar Power Project, a part of Grid Solar and Energy Efficiency Project. Click here to read more. (Nepali Times, June 4, 2020)'
- World Bank approves $100 million credit to reform Nepal's energy Sector and boost recovery from COVID-19 crisis. The approved credit is the second in a series of three developmnet policy operations to support key policy, regulatory and institutional reforms. Click here to read more. (The Kathmandu Post, June 3, 2020)
- The World Bank approved- The Second Programmatic Energy Sector Development Policy Credit in the amount of $100 million that aims to support the government's effort to improve the financial viability and governance of the electricity sector. Click here for: Press Release and Loans & Credits (June 2, 2020)
- An Overview of Development Partners' Activities in the Energy Sector. Click here to read more. (February, 2020)
- Power- Less to Powerful- An article on Nepal's Energy Scenario . Click here to read more. (November 25, 2019)
- First of Its Kind World Bank Survey on Quality of Electricity Access in Nepal Shows Remarkable Progress; Challenges Persist on Clean Cooking- 95 out of 100 households in Nepal have access to electricity, while 72 out of 100 have access to reliable, affordable and uninterrupted access to electricity for a significant part of the day, marking remarkable progress over the past decade, according to a first-of-its-kind national survey conducted by the World Bank in 2017. Click here to read more. (November 21, 2019)
- Nepal Beyond Connections: Energy Access Diagnostic Report Based on the Multi- Tier Framework. The World Bank, with the support of the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), has launched the Global Survey on Energy Access, which relies on the Multi-Tier Framework (MTF) approach. Click here to access the full report. (November 04, 2019)
- The World Bank’s South Asia Energy and Social Development Units, with support from Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), organized the First Regional Conference of the Women in Power Sector Professional Network– WePOWER – to promote female practitioners in the energy sector. The conference was held in Kathmandu, Nepal on February 20-21, 2019.
- The World Bank approved Strategic Climate Fund (SCF) Grant in the amount of $5.61 million and SCF Loan in the amount of $2 million to help Nepal diversify its energy sources to renewables. The SCF grant and credit support the Private Sector-Led Mini-Grid Energy Access Project, which aims to mobilize energy-service companies in selected regions of the country to increase capacity of renewable energy mini-grids. Press Release and Loans and Credits (January 30, 2019)
Second Programmatic Energy Sector Development Policy Credit (DPC2)
Program Development Objectives
The electricity sector is one of the key drivers of Nepal’s economy and has the potential to yield large economic dividend for the country by meeting domestic demand and generating revenues through electricity trade with neighbors. The Energy Sector Development Policy Credit (DPC) operations aim to support the Government of Nepal’s efforts to improve the financial viability and governance of the electricity sector. The programmatic DPC series has two pillars: (i) improving the financial viability of the electricity sector; and (ii) improving the governance of the electricity sector.
Program Documents
- Program Document
- Documents Related to Prior Actions of DPC2
Pillar 1: Improving the financial viability of the electricity sector
- Prior Action 1a: The ERC has issued Electricity Consumer Tariff Fixation Directive (English Translation)
- Prior Action 1b: The ERC has accepted NEA tariff application
- Prior Action 2: NEA Board of Directors has approved NEA Corporate Development Plan
- Prior Action 3: NEA has implemented Institutional Measures to Reduce Power Transmission and Districution Losses
Pillar 2: Improving the governance of the electricity sector
- Prior Action 4: The Council of Ministers has approved the Draft Elecrticity Bill for its submission to the Parliament
- Prior Action 5: Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation has approved the NEA Institutional Restructuring Plan
- Prior Action 6: NPTCL Board of Directors has approved the NPTCL Business Plan
- Prior Action 7: NEA has amended the Procedure for Purchase of Electricity from Solar PV System (English Translation)
- Prior Action 8: NEA has adopted GESI Strategy and Operational Guidelines
Nepal-India Electricity Transmission and Trade Project
Project Development Objectives
The development objectives of the Project are to: (a) establish cross-border transmission capacity between India and Nepal of about 1000 MW to facilitate electricity trade between the two countries; and (b) increase the supply of electricity in Nepal by the sustainable import of at least 100 MW.
Project Documents
Link to other project documents
Grid Solar and Energy Efficiency Project
Project Development Objectives
The project development objectives are to: (i) increase solar photovoltaic generated electricity to supply to the NEA grid; and (ii) reduce NEA’s distribution losses in selected distribution centers.
Project Documents
Link to other project documents
Kabeli-A Hydro Electric Project
Project Development Objectives
The project development objective is to add hydropower generation capacity to supply the NEA grid through public private investments.
Project Documents
Link to other project documents
Power Sector Reform and Sustainable Hydropower Development Project (PSRSHD)
Project Development Objectives
The project development objectives are to (a) strengthen the capacity of the power sector agencies to plan and prepare hydropower and transmission line projects following international standards and best practices, and (b) improve the readiness of the power sector agencies for regulatory and institutional reforms.
Project Documents
Link to other project documents
Workshops
Institutional Strengthening of the NEA for Environmental and Social Risk Management Opening Workshop (April 11, 2019)
Agenda and Summary of Discussions
Materials
SREP-Supported Extended Biogas Project
Project Development Objectives
The project development objective is to promote large off-grid biogas energy generation in Nepal.
Project Documents
Link to other project documents
Other Materials
First Programmatic Energy Sector Development Policy Credit (DPC1)
Program Development Objectives
The Energy Sector Development Policy Credit (DPC) operation aims to support the government’s efforts in improving the financial viability and governance of the electricity sector. The DPC series have two pillars: (i) improving the financial viability of the electricity sector; and (ii) improving the governance of the electricity sector.
Program Documents
- Documents related to the prior actions of DPC1
Prior Action 4: The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation has adopted the power sector strategy and action plan
Prior Action 5: The Government of Nepal has published the ERC Act in the official gazette
Prior Action 7: NEA Board of Directors has adopted: (a) power purchase rates and associated rules for PPA of run-of-the river and peaking-run-of-the-river power generation, and strage hydropower generation projects; and (b) guidelines on foreign currency-denominated PPAs
Link to other project documents
Workshops
Workshop on Strategic Energy Sector Policies in Nepal, Gokarna Forest Resort (November 5-6, 2018)
Agenda and Summary of Discussions
The two-day workshop was jointly organized by the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation (MoEWRI) and the World Bank to take stock of the progress in energy sector reforms in Nepal and discuss ways forward and the next steps to achieve these goals. The workshop agenda can be found here. Approximately 60 participants were from government institutions such as Ministry of Finance (MoF), MoEWRI, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) and Alternative Energy Promotion Center, national energy companies, and development partners. The key takeaways and summary of the discussions during the workshop can be found here.
Presentations Materials
Session 1: Sector vision and strategy
- Nepal energy sector white paper and action plan
Sagar Raj Goutam, Senior Divisional Engineer, Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation
- Global experience with electricity sector reforms
Pedro Antman, Lead Energy Specialist, World Bank
Session 2: Operationalizing the power trade
Prabal Adhikari, CEO, Nepal Power Trading Company Limited (NPTCL)
Session 3: Ensuring financial viability of the NEA
Anish Mandal, Director, Deloitte
Session 4: Strengthening environmental and social guidelines governing investments in the electricity sector
Chatur Bahadur Shrestha, Under Secretary, MoEWRI
Day 1 Wrap-up
Bipul Singh, Senior Energy Economist, World Bank
Session 5: Developing a power market in federal Nepal
Kul Man Ghising, Managing Director, Nepal Electricity Authority
Pedro Antmann, Lead Energy Specialist, World Bank
Pham Manh Thang, Board Member, Vietnam Electricity
Session 6: Pricing energy services
Pedro Antmann, Lead Energy Specialist, World Bank
Session 7: Communicating strategically with stakeholders in the electricity sector
Bipul Singh, Senior Energy Economist, World Bank
Kunda Dixit, Himalmedia
Fan Zhang, Senior Economist, World Bank
Conclusions and wrap-up
Sagar Raj Goutam, Senior Divisional Engineer, MoEWRI
Xiaoping Wang, Energy Lead for Nepal, World Bank
Private Sector-Led Mini-Grid Energy Access Project
Project Development Objectives
The project development objective is to increase electricity generation capacity from renewable energy mini-grids in selected areas by mobilizing energy service companies (ESCOs).
Project Documents
Workshops
Workshop for Enhancing Climate/Disaster-Resilient Renewable Energy Distributed Power System (September 10-11, 2019)
Agenda and Presentation Materials
- Full agenda of the workshop can be found here.
<Day 1>
- Opening Remarks
Dr. Idah Z. Pswarayi-Riddihough, Country Director, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, World Bank
Mr. Madhusudan Adhikari, Executive Director, Alternative Energy Promotion Center (AEPC)
Mr. Nabin Raj Singh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation
- Introduction: “Overview of Mini Grid Projects, Case Studies, Lessons Learned and Disaster Risks – Nepal”
Theme 1 - Disaster Resilient Mini-grid System
- Session 1: “Experience in Sendai Micro-grid Operational Experience in the Aftermath of Tohoku Earthquake”
Presenter:
Discussants:
Dr. Kozo Nagami, Senior Representative, JICA Nepal Office, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
Dr. Ramesh Guragain, Deputy Executive Director, National Society for Earthquake Technology
- Session 2: “Micro-grid System to Reduce Carbon Emissions while Enhancing Resilience, Maldives’ Case”
Presenters:
Discussants:
Dr. Narayan Prasad Chaulagain, Deputy Chief Technical Advisor, Nepal Energy Efficiency Program, GiZ
Dr. Anusuya Joshi, Senior ESS Expert, Alternative Energy Promotion Center (AEPC)
Theme 2 - Building Resilient Infrastructure through Public-Private Partnership (PPP)
- Session 3: “PPP Contract and Procurement Arrangement for Building Resilient Infrastructure”
Presenter:
Discussants:
Mr. Manoj Khadka, Renewable Energy Advisor, DFID
Mr. Subodh Adhikari, Senior Energy Specialist, Energy and Extractives Global Practice, South Asia Region, World Bank
<Day 2>
Theme 3 - Future Perspectives of Resilient Mini-grid System Development
- Session 4: “Optimal Design on Renewable Based Mini-grid Systems - Opportunities and Challenges”
Presenter:
Discussants:
Mr. Bhishma Pandit, Operations Officer, IFC
Mr. Pushkar Manandhar, Project Officer – Energy, Asian Development Bank
- Session 5: “Smart Grid Technologies Integrating Distributed Energy Resource for Network Reliability”
Presenter:
Mr. Tetsuya Hirayama, Manager, International Business and Cooperation Group, Transmission and Distribution Company, The KANSAI Electric Power Co., Inc.
Discussants:
Mr. Niraj Subedi, Senior Sector Specialist – Energy, KfW Development Bank in Nepal
Ms. Ranju Pandey, Manager, Power Trade Department, Nepal Electricity Authority
- Wrap-up of the Discussion and Key Takeaways
Ms. Eriko Ichikawa, Energy Specialist, Jr Professional Officer, Energy and Extractives Global Practice, South Asia Region, World Bank
Developing Improved Solutions for Cooking (DISC)
Project Documents
The First Regional Conference Women in Power Sector Professional Network in South Asia (WePOWER)
Introduction
The World Bank’s South Asia Energy and Social Development Units, with support from Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), organized the First Regional Conference of the Women in Power Sector Professional Network– WePOWER – to promote female practitioners in the energy sector. The conference was held in Kathmandu, Nepal on February 20-21, 2019.
Agenda
Presentations Materials
Session 1 Dr. Ramalatha Marimuthu
Session 3 Prof. Hosne-Ara-Begum
Session 5 Claire Lajoie Mazenc
Session 10 Dr. Ramalatha Marimuthu
