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KATHMANDU: The Regional Conference on Powering Sustainable Growth #WithHydropower was held on Thursday to scale up climate finance for hydropower in the South Asian region.
The event held at Hotel Himalayan was jointly organised by the Hydropower Sustainability Alliance (HSA); International Hydropower Association (IHA); Bizbell; Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad); Nepal Hydropower Association (NHA); USAID and Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal (IPPAN).
The regional conference was inaugurated by Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Shakti Bahadur Basnet, who was also the chief guest of the event. After the inauguration, a short video was played which informed the participants about the need for sustainable growth as climate change has been posing a threat to life and livelihoods.
HSA Deputy Executive Director Alain Kilajia delivered the welcome speech. He spoke about the World Hydropower Congress that was held in Bali, Indonesia from October 31 to November 2, 2023. He thanked Norad for sponsoring 15 Nepali participants for the Bali congress. He further mentioned that the HSA was there to support Nepal in its hydropower development initiatives by adhering to global standards. He expressed his hope that the application of the Hydropower Sustainability Standard will allow Nepal to harness its water resources in a way that is sustainable and responsible, and ultimately help the country fulfil its climate duty to become the water battery of South Asia.
While talking about his experience, Urja Developers Managing Director Bhanu Bhakta Pokharel stated that he has participated in the World Hydropower Congress on different occasions but the recent one was a bit different as there was an enormous focus on hydropower development to meet net zero emission target and cross-border energy trade. He also shared that there was a global agreement that only developing hydropower was not enough and we also need to make it sustainable in the long run.
IPPAN President Ganesh Karki stressed that the government should be more open towards public-private partnerships for hydroelectricity development in Nepal. He also mentioned that the draft of the Electricity Bill 2023 which was tabled by the energy minister in the Lower House of the Parliament needed to be amended before implementation.
Addressing the conference, Investment Board Nepal (IBN) Chief Executive Officer Sushil Bhatta said that a lot has been achieved in Nepal with regards to hydropower development and both public entities and the private sector have played a pivotal role in this aspect. He also emphasized that while seeking markets, stakeholders should focus equally on both domestic and international markets.
In the regional conference, Minister Basnet spoke about the government’s commitment to tapping the hydropower potential of the country and mentioned that as a minister dealing with energy, he recognises the vital role that hydropower plays in sustainable development in Nepal. He also stated that the government has a target to provide all citizens with access to electricity within the coming decade. He also apprised the conference of the government’s plans to generate 28,000 megawatts of electricity within the next 12 years. The Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation shared that the government is doing its best to attract sustainable investments for some priority projects.
During his address, IHA Vice Chair Sushil Pokharel shared how the World Hydropower Congress held in Bali, Indonesia gave Nepal the opportunity to showcase its achievements on the global stage. He suggested that during international seminars and conferences, Nepali representatives must narrate their success stories in such a manner that it would attract investments. He also mentioned that it was high time that an effective one-window policy for investors would go a long way in benefiting the country.
Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC) Chairman Dilli Bahadur Singh mentioned that Nepal has the potential to develop a higher quantum of electricity as opposed to the general belief that is prevalent at the moment. He said that there are plans to develop 28,000 megawatts of electricity of which 15,000 megawatts will be exported but the question that all stakeholders should be asking is where will Nepal export that electricity and how will we do it.
On the occasion, NHA President Arun Rajauria delivered a vote of thanks. He stated that as a president of NHA, he stands for this juncture where climate-resilient infrastructure development and sustainable energy solutions are the basic requirements as a whole for sustainable development.
During the inaugural session of the conference, a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) for collaboration was signed between IPPAN, HSA and IHA in the presence of Energy Minister Basnet. The collaboration is for pioneering sustainable growth through hydropower. An MoU for investment was also signed by Tenzin Gonsar, Founder of Team Venture and IHA Vice Chair Pokharel.
On the occasion, HSA Deputy Executive Director Kilajia presented Minister Basnet with souvenirs while IPPAN President Ganesh Karki presented the souvenirs to ERC Chairman Singh.
