KATHMANDU, July 16:At Waste to Energy Bazaar, an event held a few months ago for alternative energy promotion, around 300 households showed interest in installing biogas at their homes.
Alternative Energy Promotion Center (AEPC), the government body tasked with promoting natural sources of energy had offered technical assistance to households for converting household waste into energy. [break]
Three months on, AEPC says that only 26 out of the 300 homes that had shown interest in domestic biogas have gone on to install the technology. According to Uttam Jha, national advisor for biogas support program, the gap in the number of people interested and those who actually install the technology stems from the hesitation arising from lack of awareness about the renewable technology.
“Three hundred people had asked for the household level biogas installation. But when our team visited their homes, many families seemed reluctant,” said Jha. “It may be because of the cost involved, though the government provides good subsidy provided to those who install it.”
In a bid to promote alternative energy in urban areas, the government had on March approved renewable energy subsidy for the users. Subsequently, AEPC organized the bazaar to urge the valley residents, private developers and social sectors to collaborate for it. AEPC had floated the idea of both household level as well as institutional level waste-to-energy programs, creating really high hopes among the enthusiasts. The officials agree that the progress have been really slow, though they add that demand has been steady.
“We could not meet the target of installing biogas at 500 households by the end of this fiscal year. Basically, due to the hesitation among the public,” said Jha. “However, if we are able to spread the stories about kitchens that use waste-to-energy technology to cook food, more and more people would be inspired to follow it.”
AEPC informs that the 26 households that are scattered in different places of the Valley are already benefiting from the technology. “They have also understood that though they had to spend a huge sum in the beginning, they are actually minimizing their long term cost of energy use. Even LPG gas is not cheap, nor is it easily available,” Jha said.
Similarly, waste-to-energy scenario at the institutional level is awaiting some kind of revolution, states Samir Thapa, assistant director at AEPC. He informed that hospitals, residential schools, army barracks and, most importantly, municipalities want AEPC to support them to generate energy out of their wastes.
“Waste-to-energy is still a new concept in Nepal. But that will change soon. The valley has high potential both for bigger and smaller renewable energy projects. We can generate energy through the waste at industries, healthcare centers, army barracks, slaughter houses, hotels and so on. Many of them have already sought our help,” Thapa said.
Installing the technology to convert household waste into gas normally costs a family around Rs 35,000, out of which Rs 10,000 is provided by the government. The subsidy varies depending on whether it is for private or public services.
In a survey conducted by AEPC in 2008, the per-capital household waste generation was found to vary from 0.12 kg to 0.54 kg per day in Nepal. Similarly, it recorded approximate waste generation in Kathamndu district alone to be at 400 tons per day, which is sufficient for smaller and bigger energy generation projects.
Reshi Piya, senior energy officer at APEC, informed that in terms of large scale energy generation, the office is doing rigorous homework to finalize on the viable concepts offered by private agencies and individuals to realize the dream of the energy promotion.
“Most innovative, sustainable or effective projects would be worked out. The ideas will be verified by technical experts,” she said. “We are working on project proposal format. It may take a week to select the best models. Subsequently we can get into action.”
While household waste is just for cooking solutions, the large projects are even reliable for power generation at a massive scale, stresses Piya. “Institutional scale energy system primarily comprises of biogas system for thermal energy and electricity generation. This includes the refuse generated at army barracks, orphanages, and hospitals and so on. In view of ever growing power crisis, utilizing the waste for power can really make a difference,” she added.
Meanwhile, Rabin Man Shrestha, environment division chief at Kathmandu Metropolitan City, stated that now the city produces 450 tons of waste everyday and if a body like AEPC can help utilize it for power generation, the KMC would be more than happy to cooperate.
“I have not been formally informed of the plan. We currently dump the waste at Sisdol area in Nuwakot district. It would be wonderful if the waste is segregated for such use,” he said.
According to Thapa, the project development has been satisfactory and the concept of waste-to-energy will show visible results within a few months. “We are trying to involve more and more people and private sector companies into this technology. It cannot be successful until the initiative is taken up by the people themselves. They will have to invest in it and the government will provide technical support and subsidies.”
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