Nepal could take a leading role in hydrogen energy development: Minister Bhusal

KATHMANDU: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Pampha Bhusal, has said Nepal has a potentiality of taking a lead in the development of green hydrogen in the world.

Inaugurating ‘Nepal Green Hydrogen Summit’ kicked off here today, the Minister said Nepal has abundant potentialities for green hydrogen production and its export. The event is jointly organized by the Ministry, Ministry of Finance, MIT Group Foundation and Global NRN Foundation.

“Commercial use of hydrogen is the result of latest innovation. Its trade has not been easier yet. With sufficient availability of water resources in Nepal, possibility of development of green hydrogen is relatively high here. So that Nepal could play a leading role in its production and trade,” the Minister said.

The world is researching and studying about hydrogen energy with a special concern and priority, and various developing countries have intensified policy formulation for its production and utility and for its research and explorations.

She took time to inform the forum that Nepal would come up with a policy on the matter soon. Efforts to transform water resources into hydropower and green hydrogen were issue of high gravity in terms of Nepal’s economic prosperity, ecological safety, energy and food safety and the sustainable development goals.

The government aims to promote the use of hydropower, increase per capita power consumption and use it for production of hydrogen energy, and ammonia and urea fertiliser production, according to the Minister who on the occasion shared that a feasibility study towards that ends had been already carried out.

“The Nepal Electricity Authority and the Korea-based Global Green Growth Institute have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the development of hydrogen energy. ”

She added the development of agricultural, tourism, industrial and hydropower sectors was the prime concern of the government as it was effortful to meet the SDGs by 2030 and realise the national goal of upgrading the nation to a middle-income country by 2026 AD.

The Summit will run for two days.