Nepal’s largest wind-solar hybrid project operations starts

Nepal’s largest wind-solar hybrid power system has officially been operated on in the Hariharpurgadi village of Sindhuli district. This is financed by a project supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The turbines of the power system produce 110 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy per day easily providing the village’s electricity demand of 87 kWh per day.
ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. It is owned by 67 members—48 from the region. It was established on 1966.

The wind-solar hybrid system was installed under ADB’s South Asia Sub regional Economic Cooperation Power System Expansion Project. The project, with a total cost of $16.2 million, was also partly financed by the Government of Nepal, the Scaling up Of Renewable Energy Program under the Climate Investment Fund, and the local community.

The installation and operation of the hybrid system, which was implemented by the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC), is an attempt to scale up decentralized off-grid approaches to raise rural Nepal’s access to electricity.

“Access to clean, reliable and affordable energy will help the village to connect to the world through internet and mobile phones, and will create opportunities to boost local income. The electricity from the mini-grid will also open the door for commercial activities,” says Mukhtor Khamudkhanov, Director, ADB Nepal.
Six years ago, the government, with support from the ADB, had launched its first mini grid wind-solar system in Dhaubadi in western Nepal.
The electricity from the mini-grid will also open the door for commercial activities in the village and help small businesses get off the ground.
According to Dhital, the success of these projects has demonstrated wind-solar hybrid systems as a viable alternative for providing reliable energy access to rural Nepal.