Hydro Hope Rekindled

Nepal has no option but to tap into its immense hydro potential if we are to significantly improve our living standards and graduate to the status of a developing country. But, despite this lucrative endowment, hydropower development started making significant strides only recently as the private sector ramped up its involvement in the sector. Our installed capacity of hydropower projects has steadily increased to around 2,800 MW from around 557 MW in 2005, according to the NEA. As the country's population and economy continues to grow, and the market of electric vehicles (EVs) booms, Nepali government has projected annual electricity demand to grow by around 12 per cent for the next few years.