Nepal - Energy Efficiency in Industry
Overview
Although, Nepal has the second largest hydropower resources in the world, it is still suffering from high energy shortage since several years. This power crisis has resulted in scheduled power outages (called load shedding) up to 12 hours per day in the dry season when the run-off-the-river hydropower plant cannot meet the electricity demand.
Particularly, industry is suffering because they have to shut down during load shedding or to run costly fuel based backup systems. The import of petroleum product has increased sharply during the last decade resulting in a trade deficit with India.
However, energy is scarce and expensive it is often not used efficiently and wasted. This article gives an overview about energy saving potentials in eight energy-intensive sectors of Nepal, namely:
- Brick,
- Cement,
- Cold Storage,
- Food & Beverage,
- Hotel,
- Pulp & Paper,
- Soap, and
- Steel & Metal.[1]
Industrial Sectors
Brick Sector
Sector highlightsBrick is a primary construction material in Nepal. Around 575 Brick kilns are in operations (Status 2006/2007) having a production capacity from 15,000 to 50,000 brick per day. Most of them operates only during dry season from December to June. Clay is the main raw material used in this industry and is available at very low cost. However, brick making is an energy and labour intensive industrial process. Hand moulding of green brick is mostly used. The predominant kiln technology in Nepal is the Fixed Chimney Bull Trench Kiln (FC-BTK). Apart from BTKs, Clamp Hoffmann and Vertical Shift Brick Kiln (VSBK) can be also found.
Energy Use
Energy Saving Potential
Cement Sector
Cement is a commonly used as a basic building material in the country. About 70% of the cement used in the construction sector is manufactured in Nepal. There are two types of cement factories, namely, limestone-based and clinker-based. Limestone-based industry use the raw material limestone, that is abundantly available in Nepal, and burn the clinker and process the clinker to cement. Clinker-based factories import the clinker from India and process it to cement. There are more than 60 cement industries in Nepal; most of them clinker-based. Few new large units have a production capacity between 900 to 1,000 tons per day are in pipeline.
Energy Use
Energy Saving Potential
Cold Storage Sector
Hotel Sector
Energy use
Energy saving potentials
Pulp and Paper Sector
Energy use
Energy saving potentials
Soap Sector
Energy use
Energy saving potentials
Steel and Metal Sector
Energy use
Energy saving potentials
Dairy Sector
Energy use
Energy saving potentials
References
- ↑ NEEP, 2012: Baseline Study of Selected Sector Industries to assess The Potentials for more Efficient use of Energy. Prepared by PACE Nepal for Nepal Energy Efficiency Programme (NEEP) of the Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS), supported by German Development Cooperation GIZ. Retrieved from: http://wecs-neep.gov.np/downloadthis/120220_baseline_report.pdf