For decades Kathmandu (Nepal) all but disappeared when the sun went down.
Marilyn Smith is Executive Director of EnAct.
When EnAct visited Kathmandu in December 2013, rolling blackouts plagued the city, blamed on inadequate supply and unreliable infrastructure. Frustrated citizens were thrilled that the NEA had developed a mobile app to announce load-shedding schedules a week in advance. At least they could plan how to run their businesses and manage their lives.
Suddenly last winter, the lights stayed on…and some harsh realities were exposed.
With eighty-three thousand megawatts of hydro power potential, tiny Nepal could generate eighty times more electricity than it needs. In the century since it was first built, the Pharping station has typically managed to produce about nine hundred megawatts annually, while demand has risen to almost one thousand four hundred megawatts. Not surprising, the dry season amplified the mismatch between demand and supply.
Citizens paid the price, not only in lost productivity and opportunity, but often by investing in diesel generators, inverters or rooftop solar. The upfront cost of such devices might be equal to two months’ salary, even for professionals like police officers. At times, each hour of operating a diesel generator cost thirty times more than grid-supplied electricity.
September 2016, enter Kul Man Ghising, an electrical engineer appointed by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal (known as Prachanda) as NEA managing director. With twenty-three years’ experience inside the NEA, Ghising knew where change could be made.
When EnAct stopped for coffee, the barista left the shop to fire up the diesel generator out back. Espresso with a side of noise pollution and diesel emissions served to everyone in the neighborhood! Photo: M. Smith/Nepal
Multiple sources report that Ghising has boosted generation at existing plants by twenty-five percent, adding one hundred megawatts of power. Eliminating the demand created by inverters charging when the power was on freed up another fifty megawatts.
But most striking is Ghising’s absolute commitment, with full government support, to get power to the people. It has become known that several energy-intensive industries were receiving twenty-four hour supply while much of the city was powerless for up to fourteen hours per day.
Now, at 4:30 pm every afternoon, Ghising flips the switch: industry gets cut off and supply is directed toward meeting peak demand of households and small businesses. At 8:30 pm, power is restored to industry. While less than perfect for industry, the current system offers the advantage of a clear schedule, as opposed to the previous risk of unexpected outages that might last twice as long. For the NEA, this measure has freed up another two hundred and fifty megawatts during peak hours.
One loser has emerged from the radical change. In recent months, sales of inverters and diesel generators have dropped by ninety-eight percent. But people of Kathmandu say they are breathing easier, sleeping better, and feeling substantially less strain on household budgets.
Oddly, when the FIFA Cup came to town, suddenly there was enough electricity to light the football stadium. Photo: M. Smith/Nepal
Did Nepal have a severe energy crisis for decades on end? Many citizens are now more convinced that they were being kept in the dark about NEA operations. Mostly, half a million people are happy that images like these are history.
For more information on EnAct or how to support it, visit the websites http://www.en-act.org and http://www.coldathome.today, or contact the Executive Director at marilyn.smith@en-act.org
Lead image: With a population of 500,000, for decades Kathmandu (Nepal) all but disappeared when the sun went down. Aggressive demand-side management is reviving the city’s economy — and the image of the National Electricity Authority (NEA). Photo: M. Smith / Nepal
