Kathmandu, June 5: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, has acknowledged green hydrogen as a significant opportunity and valuable resource for building Nepal’s green future.
In his address to a workshop on ‘National Review on Initiatives in Development of Green Hydrogen in Nepal’, organised by the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre, here Friday, the Minister talked about abundant potential for the production of green hydrogen in Nepal.
“The use of green hydrogen has been on rise worldwide to mitigate carbon emissions in industries, transport sector and energy storage,” the Minister said, adding that such use is expected to strengthen energy security, increase industrial efficiency and implement national and international commitments on climate change.
Stating that both developed and developing nations have increased their investment in green hydrogen, he was of the view that Nepal should also take advantage of this opportunity. According to him, Nepal can excel in production of green hydrogen by harnessing its clean energy resources, thereby prompting industrial development, diversifying energy sources and exploring export opportunities.
The government has already implemented the Green Hydrogen Policy-2080 BS and budget managed for the upcoming fiscal year for implementing a pilot project for commercial production. He insisted on effective collaboration among the government entities, development partners, universities, research organisations and the private sector to purse a commercial production of green hydrogen.
The Minister also said the current parliament session is expected to pass separate bills on renewable energy and energy sufficiency to develop further advanced legal and regulatory bases for the promotion of renewable energy and energy sufficiency.
As shared by secretary at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Chiranjibi Chataut, budget has been allocated for the upcoming fiscal year to implement the 2.5 megawatt-green hydrogen plant as a pilot project in Hetauda, Makwanpur (Bagamati Province).
Centre’s executive director Nawaraj Dhakal said they were assessing the implementation status of the Green Hydrogen Policy-2080 BS, potential projects and the determination of investment priorities.
As the Centre said, based on the recommendations garnered through the event, an action plan would be formulated to implement the Green Hydrogen Policy, undertake research and pilot projects, develop safety standards, build technical human resources and strengthen capacity, and explore opportunities for large-scale projects through international collaboration. #nepal
