Kathmandu, Feb. 8: Aiming to contribute to the government’s plans to generate 28,500 MW electricity by 2035, the Himalayan Hydro Expo 2024 is scheduled to be held in April, 2024.

The Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal (IPPAN) is going to organise the fourth edition of the Himalayan Hydro Expo from April 24 to 26, this year at Bhrikutimandap Exhibition Centre in Kathmandu.

Speaking at a press conference, IPPAN President Ganesh Karki said that the aim of the expo organised by IPPAN is to create an investment environment by inviting foreign investors to participate in the investment expo to be organised by the government in April, 2024.

The IPPAN has been organising the expo every two years aiming to bring in world-class technology in Nepal for the development of hydropower. The expo will contribute to the government’s plans to generate 28,500 MW electricity by 2035, he said.

The government has prepared an energy development roadmap with a target of generating 28,500 MW of electricity in 12 years and plans to consume 13,500 MW of electricity internally and export 10,000 MW to India and 5,000 MW to Bangladesh.

“An agreement has been reached between Nepal and India that Nepal will export 10,000 megawatts of electricity to India in 10 years. 

In this context, the expo is going to be organised with the aim of attracting domestic and foreign investment in the hydropower sector,” he said.

President Karki said that the agreement would create important opportunities in Nepal’s energy development and open more doors. 

He said that the banks and financial institutions should increase investment in energy, and the government should announce more concessions for energy production.

The government should be more active and move immediately to solve the administrative and procedural problems, he said. 

He said, “It is impossible to export as well as generate so much electricity without the involvement of the private sector. The private sector is also ready to achieve the goal of electricity export.”

The installation capacity of hydropower operating in the country has reached 2,910 MW, out of it, around 2,214 MW electricity has been produced from the hydropower projects run by the private sector. About 131 hydropower projects having a capacity of 3,397 MW are in the under construction phase.

About 138 hydropower projects with capacity of 3,615 MW are in the stage of financial management and 258 projects with the capacity of 19,623 MW are in the various stages of construction by taking license.

According to IPPAN, there will be an exhibition of machinery tools used in the construction of hydropower projects, banks and financial institutions, insurance companies, cement, rods and other materials in the expo.

Along with this, seminars and discussions on hydropower, solar, hydrogen and other topics will also be organised, said the IPPAN. In the expo, demos will be presented to provide information about various hydropower projects as well as competition between innovative ideas in the energy sector.

The foreign companies and stakeholders from different countries, including China, India, Canada, Norway, South Korea, Germany, Austria, Italy, Sweden, United Kingdom and Brazil will participate in the expo.  

It is expected that there will be more than 200 stalls in the expo, whereas 50 per cent stalls will be for foreigners. According to IPPAN, the booking for stalls has been opened from Wednesday itself.