सिंहदरबार संवाददाता
Kathmandu. Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Deepak Khadka has urged donor agencies to invest in the hydropower sector. With the approval of the ‘Energy Development Roadmap-2081’ by the Council of Ministers meeting held on Poush 16 with the aim of generating 28,500 megawatts of electricity in Nepal by 2035, Energy Minister Khadka held discussions with the heads and representatives of donor agencies today to raise investment.
Minister Khadka thanked the donor agencies for their previous support for the development of Nepal’s energy sector and urged them to continue it in the coming days. He said that the energy development roadmap would help transform Nepal into a regional energy hub, strengthen national and cross-border infrastructure and advance economic prosperity.
Minister Khadka said that the roadmap is a ‘roadmap’ for energy security, sustainability and inclusive economic growth. He mentioned that the roadmap has paid special attention to the development of inter-country transmission lines along with production. He said that Nepal, which has ample potential for water resources, will provide unparalleled opportunities for investment in the energy sector.
Minister Khadka expressed confidence that the Upper Arun Reservoir Project, which is being constructed with the assistance of the World Bank, and the Dudhkoshi Reservoir Project, which is being constructed with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank, will be constructed on time. He expressed confidence that the roadmap will prove to be a guiding document that highlights the vast area and potential of Nepal’s hydropower sector. Minister Khadka has urged development partners, international diplomatic missions, international organizations and the community to implement the roadmap prepared for the country’s economic development.
Madhu Prasad Bhetuwal, Secretary of the Secretariat of the Water and Energy Commission, said that great support and cooperation from donor agencies is necessary to fulfill the goals of the energy development roadmap set by the government. He stated that there are challenges in energy production, transmission and distribution and that everyone should move forward together to solve these challenges. Dr. Ram Prasad Dhital, Chairman of the Electricity Regulatory Commission, said that the Energy Development Roadmap is an important document in the development of Nepal’s energy sector and development partners have an important role to play in implementing it.
Prabal Adhikari, Senior Energy Expert at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, said that 46.5 billion US dollars are required to fulfill the goals set by the Energy Development Roadmap. He mentioned that there will be no problem in meeting the government’s electricity production target as 11,161 MW of power purchase agreements (PPA) have been signed and 12,968 MW of power (PPA) are in the process of being signed.
Nabinraj Singh, Director General of the Department of Power Development, said that a large budget is needed to implement the energy development roadmap and everyone’s cooperation is necessary to fulfill it. Kulman Ghising, Executive Director of the Nepal Electricity Authority, said that the authority has focused on the construction of reservoir-based projects to meet the goals set by the energy development roadmap. He expressed gratitude for the support provided by donor agencies in Nepal’s electricity development.
Nawaraj Dhakal, Executive Director of the Alternative Energy Promotion Center, said that the center is going to take forward its programs in the coming days by prioritizing the energy development roadmap. Ganesh Karki, President of the Independent Power Producers Association (IPPAN), mentioned that the Energy Development Roadmap is historic in the field of energy development in Nepal and that the private sector has full support in implementing it.
Arnaud Caichois, Country Director of the Asian Development Bank, expressed his commitment to continue supporting the development of Nepal’s energy sector through donor agencies for a long time and to fulfill the goals of the Energy Development Roadmap set by the government in the coming days. He said that such programs would help improve the economies of South Asian countries.
The discussion was attended by heads and representatives of donor agencies including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation (GIZ), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Norwegian Embassy, and others.
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