- Suman Chapagain
Nepal being a country possessing high potential in hydel energy, but also has numerous Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
(SWOT).
Strengths
i. Renewable resource: Nepal is a geographically diverse
country. It includes low land (Kechana=60m) to world's top (Everest = 8848m)
within 200km width resulting high potential for the development of hydropower
plants. Nepal is a mountainous country and most of the large rivers are snow
fed. So, water is available most of the time for a year. Water being a renewable
source, hydropower becomes the most suitable and reliable energy source in the
context of Nepal.
ii. Low operation
cost: Initially hydropower is an expensive project. In long term perspective,
hydropower is very cheap rather than expensive. The return period of the
investment and profit thereafter is very high. During operation, maintenance
cost and few administrative costs are only the cost.
iii. Non-consumptive
use of water: Hydropower uses only the energy stored in free water but do not
consume any quantity. After the energy is converted the remaining water and its
energy can be further used for other purpose such as irrigation, household
purpose or even in developing another hydropower.
iv. Freshens
the nature: Hydel energy is a clean energy. It helps to eliminate pollution,
brings down the level of greenhouse gases and acidification of rain and soil.
This is the most suitable for the substitute of fossil fuels or thermal power.
The storage project even help in groundwater recharge and reduces the
vulnerability to droughts and floods.
v. Additional
benefits: Water used or to be used in this project can also be used for
recreation, flood control, fisheries, irrigation, water supply, etc. Thus, a
project can also be a multipurpose project.
Weaknesses
i. Flow variation: There are a lot of rivers which are snow fed in winter and have very high discharge during rainy season. So, there is large fluctuation on the discharge from year to year and even month to month.
ii. High
initial cost: As hydropower installation costs a large investments and Nepal is a developing country, hydropower development seems quite challanging and difficult too.
iii. Social
controversies: The diversion of water toward reservoir, land use for the project and even transmission system may lead to various social controversy between the upstream users and downstream users.
Opportunities
i. Bright Future: Hydropower energy is the best and easy energy system that can substitute other energy system like fossil fuel. This makes the hydropower project more sustainable.
ii. Solution for peak demand of energy: Power demand is increasing day by day. The energy can easily and quickly be increased or reduced in hydropower as per demand. Hence, this can be the best solution for peak demand of energy.
iii. Source of energy for water rich countries: Hydropower becomes cheap source of energy. Power export to other country results even in the economic development.
i. Bright Future: Hydropower energy is the best and easy energy system that can substitute other energy system like fossil fuel. This makes the hydropower project more sustainable.
ii. Solution for peak demand of energy: Power demand is increasing day by day. The energy can easily and quickly be increased or reduced in hydropower as per demand. Hence, this can be the best solution for peak demand of energy.
iii. Source of energy for water rich countries: Hydropower becomes cheap source of energy. Power export to other country results even in the economic development.
Threats
i. Seismic threat: Nepal lies in Seismic Zone V, which means Nepal is prone to seismic activities. Nepal is prone to Earthquake. This may damage the expensive structures of large projects.ii. Population settlement: Large project covers large land area. Sometime nearby settlement area are affected by such projects like rise of water in storage projects, landslide occurred due to excavation in projects, floods, etc. In such cases, large population need to be resettled elsewhere resulting in high unnecessary expenses.
