Nepal's households would need 3,000 MW more electricity if all used electric stoves: AEPC

KATHMANDU, Oct 1: An estimated additional 3,000 MW of electricity would be required if all households in the country were to use electric induction stoves simultaneously during peak cooking hours.

The Alternative Energy Promotion Center (AEPC) came up with the projection amid rising concerns over facilitating electricity generation for domestic consumption. Speaking at a meeting of the Development, Economic Affairs and Good Governance Committee under the National Assembly, AEPC Deputy Executive Director Narayan Prasad Adhikari presented the figure on raising household electricity consumption.

A preliminary study by the AEPC estimated the amount of electricity needed based on two-hour cooking periods alone by households all over Nepal. "This poses a risk of placing a sudden, heavy load on the current transmission system," said Adhikari.

Adhikari pointed out that merely extending power lines across the country is not sufficient; rather, there is a critical need to transition the energy used for cooking and heating to clean energy sources. However, the existing weak electrical infrastructure cannot handle such a massive load, and consequently, an immediate shift to induction cooking for everyone could destabilize the entire system.

According to AEPC records, more than 80 percent of Nepal's national energy consumption is utilized for heating and melting processes in production plants. Therefore, Adhikari stated that the primary challenge now lies in replacing the fuels used for household cooking—as well as the coal and fossil fuels consumed by industries—with clean, eco-friendly energy.

Adhikari informed that the AEPC has been in constant coordination with the Nepal Electricity Authority to promote the use of electric stoves. However, the existing infrastructure is incapable of immediately supporting the full load.

With support from the government, the AEPC has started a campaign to expand access to clean energy in the Terai and remote areas of Nepal. According to the AEPC, it is currently coordinating with 150 local governments in the Terai region to distribute clean cooking stoves to one million households.

Under the three-year program, the AEPC has distributed the targeted one million stoves to households, while the process of dispatching the remaining 200,000 stoves is underway. According to Adhikari, the program is mainly targeted at extending electricity services to the most remote and inaccessible settlements that currently lack access to the power grid.

Likewise, work is in progress in Karnali Province, Sudurpaschim Province, and the eastern hill districts under the renewable energy subsidy policy. The program involves a cost-sharing arrangement of 80 percent from the central government and 20 percent from the respective local government units.