Asian Development Bank today handed over Asia’s first wind-solar hybrid energy system to Nepal, PTI reported.
The project demonstrates the viability of hybrid projects to provide reliable clean energy options to rural areas.
The project, completed under ABD’S USD 3.8 million regional technical assistance (RETA), was part of the bank’s “Energy for All” initiative that supports increasing access to energy in remote rural areas.
Installed in Dhaubadi village of western Nepal in 2011, the project was today handed over to the Ministry of Environment.
Designed and funded by the ADB, bank’s first hybrid alternate power system, the pilot project will electrify 55 rural households in Dhuabadi.
Along with Nepal, RETA covers Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Maldives.
“The project is now providing electricity services to 55 rural households of Dhuabadi. This was the pilot for the hybrid wind and solar system in Nepal,” said Kenichi Yokoyama, ADB’s Country Director for Nepal.
“The success of this project has demonstrated that it is indeed viable to provide reliable energy access to rural Nepal through solar wind hybrid systems as one of the lean energy options,” he said.
He also said that the lessons learnt from this project will be very useful in scaling up the systems across Nepal, as well as in other developing member countries of ADB.
The electricity from the mini-grid has helped the villagers in Dhaubadi save time and money spent on their search for firewood, ADB said.
The project will come into operation from June 13, the ADB said.
Under the proposed SASEC power system expansion project, the off-grid component with more than 4.0 MW of mini hydro and 500 kW mini grid based solar or solar and wind hybrid system will be added.
This will provide access to electricity and facilitate productive energy use activities in rural locations from various sources of energy like mini hydro, wind energy, solar energy and wind solar hybrid energy systems, ADB said.