AEPC completes 25 years of success

With the successful for the operation of 25 years of service Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) is celebrating the glorious occasion with various renewable energy promotion and development oriented programmes. It organised a rally of electric vehicles, round table discussionson Energy Mix for Energy Security and Sustainable Economic Development and Promotion of Energy Efficiency as a new Source of Sustainable Energy Mix in Nepal.Stakeholders, experts and professionals participated in the events sharing knowledge and thoughts. Likewise a friendly futsal competition was held on the occasion 14 relevant institutions participated in the sports events.The centre also took privilege to honour a number of experts and professionals who contributed RETs to grow well in the country. 

AEPC was established on November 03, 1996 by the Government of Nepal with the objective of promotion, development and expansion of renewable/alternative energy technologies in the country. The centre is an apex institution promoting Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) in rural Nepal, and urban areas also. It was established under then Ministry of Environment. The centre now runs under Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation.

AEPC had implemented Energy Sector Assistance Programme I (ESAP I), Energy Sector Assistance Programme II (ESAP II), Rural Energy Development Programme (REDP), Renewable Energy for Livelihood Programme (RERL) and National Rural and Renewable Energy Programme (NRREP) with finance of Government of Nepal and DANIDA, NORAD, KfW; World Bank and UNDP and so on. Likewise, AEPC has been working works closely with The World bank, Asian Development Bank, KfW, Green Climate Fund, various INGOs, NGOs, GOs and private sector in order to implement various renewable energy programmes and projects. Through a number of programmes AEPC has been continuously working towards improving rural living standard through dissemination renewable energy technologies – micro hydro, solar home system, small solar home system, institutional solar photovoltaic system, photovoltaic pumping system and solar thermal systems, biogas plants, wind power systems and so on.Solar PV Pumping for irrigation and drinking water, Solar PV mini-grids, Solar-wind hybrid, Microhydro to connect grid are other programmes implemented in the later phase. The World Bank, Asian Development Bank, DFID, GIZ Nepal also extending support to AEPC for implementing RE programmes suitable to contemporary situation to promote and develop RETs in Nepal.

The centre has extended technical and financial supports to establish micro/mini hydro power projects and Solar energy technologies to generate 72 MW installed capacity in total.The energy generated by the systems serve a cumulative number of 3.6 million households.

AEPC has been successful to contribute RE in energy mix increased from 0.015% to 3.2 % so far. Similarly all the jobs rendered had generated 30,000 jobs in RE sector. That also adds 500 jobs each year.The AEPC programmes have created opportunities to more than 500 private companies for manufacture or supply, install and after sales services of different RETs.

AEPC has been successful in handling 8 RE carbon projects by selling 4.4 million units of CER issued from UNFCCC. That had generated US$ 19 million carbon revenue for the country.

Recently, the centre had brought in a fund of 6 billion rupeesGreen Climate Fund (GCF) for clean cooking programmes to carry out in 22 Terai districts.

It has been engaged to supportedGoN to formulate sectoral policies and strategies including Low Carbon Economic Development Strategy, formulating of NDC and so on. Moreover, the centre has been working with Provincial Governments and Local Level Governments as per the spirit and mandates provisioned by the Constitution of the country. 

Thus AEPC has been established to be a leading agency with national/international recognition for promotion of RETs.