Nepal holds hydropower expo, seven Chinese companies participate

KATHMANDU - Hunan Allonward Hydro-Generating Equipment Co Ltd, a hydro-electric equipments manufacture from China, started supplying its products to Nepal since 2009.

Starting to supply equipments for micro-hydro projects, the company's equipments have now already been used in over 35 hydropower projects ranging from smaller projects to mid capacity projects up to 54 Megawatt.

"As a large number of hydropower projects are under-construction in Nepal, sales of our equipments are also on the rise," Daniel Jiang, an engineer of the Chinese company who has been staying in Nepal for some years to provide installation and maintenance services, told Xinhua on Friday.

This company is one of the seven Chinese companies participating in the Himalayan Hydro Expo that kicked off in Kathmandu on Friday.

More than 100 domestic and foreign companies offering different products and services are participating in the three-day expo inaugurated by Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari.

According to Independent Power Producers' Association of Nepal (IPPAN), the organizer, the expo has brought hydropower developers and equipment suppliers together providing platform for business deals.

Various equipments to be used in hydropower projects, safety equipments, new technologies, construction equipments and electric vehicles are among the materials are on display in the expo.

Guru Prasad Neupane, promoter of Arun Valley Hydropower Development Company, one of the prominent private sector power developers, told Xinhua that he saw the presence of a few new companies and the new technologies in the sector that he was not familiar with.

"With the information about many suppliers, the hydropower developers can get equipments competitive prices in the future," he said.

Nepal has so far been able to develop just 956MW of power in the 107 years of history in hydropower development in the country. Despite late entry in the sector, the private sector has emerged as the key player with around 3000MW projects under construction from the private sector, according to IPPAN.

IPPAN said additional 5000MW projects are waiting to sign power purchase agreement with Nepal Electricity Authority, the only power utility body, to ensure sales of power generated by these projects.

Nepali power developers say that despite political instability over the last decade, the private sectors poured money in hydropower developers which is worth $7 billion.

"Hydropower development could take leap in Nepal as the country is likely head towards political stability after the recent elections in Nepal," IPPAN President Shailendra Guragain told Xinhua.

President Bhandari also stressed on the need for Nepali government's facilitation and the private sector's excitement for the hydropower development in the country.

"The availability of power will help infrastructure and industrial development of the country," she said addressing the inauguration session.