Historical Data Series: Nepal Hydropower


Nepal has 618 MW of hydro capacity out of a total of 711 MW of installed power capacity. Hydropower projects provide approximately 73% of Nepal's energy, with thermal projects providing 4%, purchases from private power companies 10%, and imports from India 13% of the total available energy.
Nepal lies along the southern slopes of the Himalayas. It is bordered by the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to its north and India to its south. Nepal has over 25,000 feet of altitude change within its borders and the population is approximately 24 million. Roughly 75% of the country is covered by mountains, including the tallest in the world, Mount Everest. The central plateau of Nepal has fertile valleys and there is some cultivated land along the border with India. Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world and about 90% of the population relies on agriculture for a living.
Nepal is endowed with immense water resources. The average annual precipitation is approximately 1700 mm (80% of which occurs during the monsoon season from June to September). The total annual average run-off from the nation's 600 perennial rivers is over 200 billion m3. Nepal's surface water resources are distributed among the river system of four major rivers (the Mahakali, the Karnali, the Gandaki, and the Kosi), seven medium rivers and a vast network of small rivers. All of the country's rivers drain into the Ganges and account for approximately 40% of the total flow of the Ganges and over 70% of its dry season flow.
The spatial and temporal distribution of water resources creates surpluses and deficits at certain times and places, mainly due to the lack of storage facilities. Nepal's storage potential is estimated at 88 billion m3. The theoretical hydropower potential is estimated at 83,000 MW, of which 46,000 MW is assumed technically viable.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The largest solar farms in the world

Image
Solar energy is gaining in popularity. Most people know solar power as the rooftop panels that are being installed on more and more houses; or projects like Elon Musk’s Solar Roof. However, there are many different applications for solar and many ways energy can be generated using the power of the sun. Electricity is the most common use, but solar energy can also be used to heat water for use in the home, or a swimming pool, etc. Solar arrays can also be used to redirect the beams of the sun to a central point which is then converted to heat energy to drive turbines, much like a coal plant would use a burner – only this time there are no emissions, and just clean energy. A large array of solar panels, be it photovoltaic or thermal, is called a solar farm. Here we take a look at a few of the biggest in the world. Tengger Desert Solar Park Located in China, the world’s largest solar farm uses solar PV panels to generate 1,500MW of electricity. This plant covers 43 square kil
Read more

Water Markets, Privatization and Deregulation

Image
Energy Expert  To bring demand and supply into balance, water markets are necessary. Under a market system, prices are not regulated, but are determined by the free exchange of water rights. In most countries where water is scarce or costly to access, systems of rights for water have emerged either through custom or through laws and regulations. The rights define the amount of water to which the owner is entitled. With rights well defined, water markets allow owners to make better decisions about the water they use. They can decide for themselves whether to use the water or trade the right. The owner of the right may choose to use the water himself when the market price is low. In fact, if the price is low enough the owner may even decide to enter the market and purchase additional water. When prices are high, however, the owner may find it cost effective to conserve water and sell it. While water right markets are emerging all over the world, they are still in their infancy
Read more

The Global Nuclear Report

Image
Nuclear power has been a source of much contention for some time now and the argument of whether it should be harnessed to its fullest potential has been hotly debated. Whichever side you stand on, there is no denying that having a solid understanding of the ins and outs of nuclear power is essential for getting to grips with the global energy industry. Especially now that it looks like nuclear power seems to be creeping back on to the world’s stage in various different forms. While the West appears to be focusing its attention on revamping existing nuclear facilities, the big Asian powers are in the process of building new ones. Japan and South Korea, in particular, are quickly climbing the nuclear energy ladder by producing new reactors and developing an unrivalled expertise in the area. Elsewhere in the world, Russia is currently exploring the possibilities of long-term uranium supply contracts – especially with Kazakhstan who is currently the world’s number one producer
Read more