100% renewable energy with pumped-hydro-energy storage in Nepal

Abstract

A radical transformation of the global energy system is underway. Solar photovoltaics and wind now comprise three-quarters of the global net new electricity-generation-capacity additions because they are cheap. The deep renewable electrification of energy services including transport, heating and industry will allow solar and wind to largely eliminate fossil fuels over the next few decades. This paper demonstrates that Nepal will be able to achieve energy self-sufficiency during the twenty-first century. Nepal has good solar and moderate hydroelectric potential but has negligible wind- and fossil-energy resources. The solar potential is about 100 times larger than that required to support a 100% solar-energy system in which all Nepalese citizens enjoy a similar per-person energy consumption to developed countries, without the use of fossil fuels and without the environmental degradation resulting from damming Nepal’s Himalayan rivers. Nepal has vast low-cost off-river pumped hydro-energy-storage potential, thus eliminating the need for on-river hydro storage and moderating the need for large-scale batteries. Solar, with support from hydro and battery storage, is likely to be the primary route for renewable electrification and rapid growth of the Nepalese energy system.

Current status, prospects, and implications of renewable energy for achieving sustainable development goals in Nepal

“…There are also limited prospects for small-scale wind turbines in some suitable locations. Various international donors, as well as other relevant stakeholders, are working to support small-scale wind energy (Lohani & Blakers, 2021). A large wind-solar hybrid This effort will aid in the estimation of updated wind power potential in Nepal.…”

“…Yet, energy security in the country can likely only be realized when threats to the hydropower sector are mitigated via diversification of the energy mix, and where balancing across generation sources is achieved. Lohani and Blakers (2021) discussed a 100% RE scenario with pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) in Nepal (Lohani & Blakers, 2021). That study discussed the potential of solar generation and the energy balancing possibilities provided by off-river PHES, in light of the potential effects of climate change on Himalayan-based rivers, as well as the social and environmental threats from hydropower.…”

“…The theoretical potential of hydropower in the country reaches about 83,000 MW, of which roughly 42,000 MW are considered economically viable(Program, 2018). Yet this is rather minuscule compared to the theoretical solar PV potential.Furthermore, land and environmental concerns caused by flooding at or near dam sites are common negative consequences of hydro projects(Lohani & Blakers, 2021). An additional concern is thatNepal lacks a diversified energy mix due to the current dominance of hydropower.…”

Review on 100% Renewable Energy System Analyses—A Bibliometric Perspective

“…Eurasia Kazakhstan [499], [500]; Turkmenistan [501] Kazakhstan [502], Russia [503] Russia: Popova [504] Middle East MENA [505] Iran [506], [507], [508], [509], [510]; Israel [511], [512], [513]; Jordan [514], [515], [516], [154]; Saudi Arabia [517], [518], [94], [519] SAARC SAARC [520] Bangladesh [521]; India [522], [523], [524], [525]; Bhutan [526]; Maldives [527], [528]; Nepal [526], [529]; Pakistan [530], [531] India: Andaman Islands [532] East Asia East Asia [533], [534], [535] Northeast Asia…”

Review on the Different Processes of Urea Production for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Nepal

“…In addition to hydropower, solar, wind energy, and biomass have seen major developments with an installed solar capacity of 54 MW in 2019 where 50 MW developed in the last ten years (IRENA, 2020). Moreover, Nepal can fulfil all of its energy demands with solar photovoltaics by covering just 1% of its land surface with panels, effectively eliminating the need for fossil fuels (Lohani & Blakers, 2021). At present, Nepal has surplus electricity in the wet season with a shortfall in power in the dry season as the majority of the existing hydropower plants are run-of-river types (Thapa et al, 2021).…”