IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v36y2011i5p3468-3476.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Halting hydro: A review of the socio-technical barriers to hydroelectric power plants in Nepal

Author

Listed:
  • Sovacool, Benjamin K.
  • Dhakal, Saroj
  • Gippner, Olivia
  • Bambawale, Malavika Jain

Abstract

Nepal has 83,000 MW (megawatts) of exploitable hydropower resources. Yet the country has tapped less than 650 MW of this potential and hydroelectricity meets less than 1% of total national energy consumption. This article explores why. Using a mixed methods approach consisting of semi-structured research interviews, site visits, and a literature review, it explores the various factors impeding the use of small-scale and medium-sized hydroelectric power stations in Nepal. It begins by laying out the research methods for the study along with a concept known as the social science systems approach, or socio-technical systems theory. This theory supposes that the barriers to any technology from reaching commercialization are simultaneously social, consisting of values, attitudes, regulations, and price signals, as well as technical. The study then evaluates a “seamless web” of these types of barriers facing hydropower systems in Nepal. It concludes by offering lessons for policymakers and scholars concerned about Nepal as well as energy policy more generally.

Suggested Citation

  • Sovacool, Benjamin K. & Dhakal, Saroj & Gippner, Olivia & Bambawale, Malavika Jain, 2011. "Halting hydro: A review of the socio-technical barriers to hydroelectric power plants in Nepal," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 3468-3476.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:36:y:2011:i:5:p:3468-3476
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2011.03.051
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544211002192
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2011.03.051?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yang, Ming, 2006. "Demand side management in Nepal," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 31(14), pages 2677-2698.
    2. Dhakal, Shobhakar & Raut, Anil K., 2010. "Potential and bottlenecks of the carbon market: The case of a developing country, Nepal," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(7), pages 3781-3789, July.
    3. Sovacool, Benjamin K., 2009. "Rejecting renewables: The socio-technical impediments to renewable electricity in the United States," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 4500-4513, November.
    4. Cromwell, Godfrey, 1992. "What makes technology transfer? Small-scale hydropower in Nepal's public and private sectors," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 20(7), pages 979-989, July.
    5. Gautam, Rajeeb & Baral, Sumit & Herat, Sunil, 2009. "Biogas as a sustainable energy source in Nepal: Present status and future challenges," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 13(1), pages 248-252, January.
    6. Pokharel, Shaligram, 2003. "Promotional issues on alternative energy technologies in Nepal," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 307-318, March.
    7. Shrestha, Ram M. & Rajbhandari, Salony, 2010. "Energy and environmental implications of carbon emission reduction targets: Case of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(9), pages 4818-4827, September.
    8. Bhandari, Ramchandra & Stadler, Ingo, 2011. "Electrification using solar photovoltaic systems in Nepal," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(2), pages 458-465, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Islar, Mine & Brogaard, Sara & Lemberg-Pedersen, Martin, 2017. "Feasibility of energy justice: Exploring national and local efforts for energy development in Nepal," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 668-676.
    2. Sharma, Naveen Kumar & Tiwari, Prashant Kumar & Sood, Yog Raj, 2013. "A comprehensive analysis of strategies, policies and development of hydropower in India: Special emphasis on small hydro power," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 460-470.
    3. Joshi, Janak & Bohara, Alok K., 2017. "Household preferences for cooking fuels and inter-fuel substitutions: Unlocking the modern fuels in the Nepalese household," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 507-523.
    4. Anuja Shaktawat & Shelly Vadhera, 2021. "Risk management of hydropower projects for sustainable development: a review," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 45-76, January.
    5. Singh, Rana Pratap & Nachtnebel, Hans Peter, 2016. "Analytical hierarchy process (AHP) application for reinforcement of hydropower strategy in Nepal," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 43-58.
    6. Ullah, Kafait & Raza, Muhammad Shabbar & Mirza, Faisal Mehmood, 2019. "Barriers to hydro-power resource utilization in Pakistan: A mixed approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 723-735.
    7. Awojobi, Omotola & Jenkins, Glenn P., 2015. "Were the hydro dams financed by the World Bank from 1976 to 2005 worthwhile?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 222-232.
    8. Ptak, Thomas & Crootof, Arica & Harlan, Tyler & Kelly, Sarah, 2022. "Critically evaluating the purported global “boom” in small hydropower development through spatial and temporal analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    9. Jha, Sunil Kr. & Bilalovic, Jasmin & Jha, Anju & Patel, Nilesh & Zhang, Han, 2017. "Renewable energy: Present research and future scope of Artificial Intelligence," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 297-317.
    10. Sovacool, Benjamin K. & Dworkin, Michael H., 2015. "Energy justice: Conceptual insights and practical applications," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 435-444.
    11. Gurung, Anup & Oh, Sang Eun, 2013. "Conversion of traditional biomass into modern bioenergy systems: A review in context to improve the energy situation in Nepal," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 206-213.
    12. Ghimire, Laxman Prasad & Kim, Yeonbae, 2018. "An analysis on barriers to renewable energy development in the context of Nepal using AHP," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 129(PA), pages 446-456.
    13. Rana Pratap Singh & Hans Peter Nachtnebel & Nadejda Komendantova, 2020. "Deployment of Hydropower in Nepal: Multiple Stakeholders’ Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-17, August.
    14. Zhang, Yao & Najafi, Mohammad Javid & Beni, Mohsen Heydari & Davar, Ali & Toghraie, Davood & Shafiee, Behzad Mojarad & Jam, Jafar Eskandari & Hekmatifar, Maboud, 2022. "The effects of geometric shapes at different assembly gaps to achieve the optimal hydrodynamic conditions," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 452-459.
    15. Hong, Xudong & Wu, Shengnan & Zhang, Xueliang, 2022. "Clean energy powers energy poverty alleviation: Evidence from Chinese micro-survey data," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    16. Tika Ram Pokharel & Hom Bahadur Rijal, 2021. "Energy Transition toward Cleaner Energy Resources in Nepal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-16, April.
    17. Hussain, Abid & Sarangi, Gopal K. & Pandit, Anju & Ishaq, Sultan & Mamnun, Nabir & Ahmad, Bashir & Jamil, Muhammad Khalid, 2019. "Hydropower development in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region: Issues, policies and opportunities," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 446-461.
    18. Manzano-Agugliaro, F. & Alcayde, A. & Montoya, F.G. & Zapata-Sierra, A. & Gil, C., 2013. "Scientific production of renewable energies worldwide: An overview," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 134-143.
    19. Satoru Komatsu & Yuki Yamamoto & Yutaka Ito & Shinji Kaneko & Ram Prasad Dhital, 2020. "Water for life: ceaseless routine efforts for collecting drinking water in remote mountainous villages of Nepal," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(8), pages 7909-7925, December.
    20. Mundaca, Luis & Busch, Henner & Schwer, Sophie, 2018. "‘Successful’ low-carbon energy transitions at the community level? An energy justice perspective," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 218(C), pages 292-303.
    21. Sovacool, Benjamin K. & Saunders, Harry, 2014. "Competing policy packages and the complexity of energy security," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 641-651.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gurung, Anup & Oh, Sang Eun, 2013. "Conversion of traditional biomass into modern bioenergy systems: A review in context to improve the energy situation in Nepal," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 206-213.
    2. Baral Gautam, Yamuna & Pelkonen, Paavo & Halder, Pradipta, 2013. "Perceptions of bioenergy among Nepalese foresters – Survey results and policy implications," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 533-538.
    3. Gurung, Anup & Kumar Ghimeray, Amal & Hassan, Sedky H.A., 2012. "The prospects of renewable energy technologies for rural electrification: A review from Nepal," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 374-380.
    4. Malla, Sunil, 2013. "Household energy consumption patterns and its environmental implications: Assessment of energy access and poverty in Nepal," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 990-1002.
    5. Gurung, Anup & Gurung, Om Prakash & Oh, Sang Eun, 2011. "The potential of a renewable energy technology for rural electrification in Nepal: A case study from Tangting," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(11), pages 3203-3210.
    6. Dipendra Bhattarai, 2017. "Is Nepal’s Renewable Energy Subsidy Reaching Poor People of Rural Areas? A Study of Biogas and Solar Home Systems," Working Papers id:11928, eSocialSciences.
    7. Gurung, Anup & Karki, Rahul & Cho, Ju Sik & Park, Kyung Won & Oh, Sang-Eun, 2013. "Roles of renewable energy technologies in improving the rural energy situation in Nepal: Gaps and opportunities," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 1104-1109.
    8. Bhattarai, Utsav & Maraseni, Tek & Apan, Armando & Devkota, Laxmi Prasad, 2023. "Rationalizing donations and subsidies: Energy ecosystem development for sustainable renewable energy transition in Nepal," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    9. MacCarty, Nordica A. & Bryden, Kenneth Mark, 2016. "An integrated systems model for energy services in rural developing communities," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 536-557.
    10. Neupane, Deependra & Kafle, Sagar & Karki, Kaji Ram & Kim, Dae Hyun & Pradhan, Prajal, 2022. "Solar and wind energy potential assessment at provincial level in Nepal: Geospatial and economic analysis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 278-291.
    11. Meng Guo & Shukai Cai, 2022. "Impact of Green Innovation Efficiency on Carbon Peak: Carbon Neutralization under Environmental Governance Constraints," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-18, August.
    12. Yang, Ming & Dixon, Robert K., 2012. "Investing in efficient industrial boiler systems in China and Vietnam," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 432-437.
    13. Sovacool, Benjamin K. & Drupady, Ira Martina, 2011. "Examining the Small Renewable Energy Power (SREP) Program in Malaysia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(11), pages 7244-7256.
    14. Joe Butchers & Shaun Benzon & Sam Williamson & Julian Booker & George Aggidis, 2021. "A Rationalised CFD Design Methodology for Turgo Turbines to Enable Local Manufacture in the Global South," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-23, October.
    15. Ng, Thiam Hee & Tao, Jacqueline Yujia, 2016. "Bond financing for renewable energy in Asia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 509-517.
    16. Zeynep Clulow & Michele Ferguson & Peta Ashworth & David Reiner, 2021. "Political ideology and public views of the energy transition in Australia and the UK," Working Papers EPRG2106, Energy Policy Research Group, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
    17. Baruah, Debendra Chandra & Enweremadu, Christopher Chintua, 2019. "Prospects of decentralized renewable energy to improve energy access: A resource-inventory-based analysis of South Africa," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 328-341.
    18. Thapa, Samir & Morrison, Mark & Parton, Kevin A, 2021. "Willingness to pay for domestic biogas plants and distributing carbon revenues to influence their purchase: A case study in Nepal," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    19. Bustos, Cristian & Watts, David, 2017. "Novel methodology for microgrids in isolated communities: Electricity cost-coverage trade-off with 3-stage technology mix, dispatch & configuration optimizations," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 204-221.
    20. Mouter, Niek & de Geest, Auke & Doorn, Neelke, 2018. "A values-based approach to energy controversies: Value-sensitive design applied to the Groningen gas controversy in the Netherlands," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 639-648.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:36:y:2011:i:5:p:3468-3476. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.