Operating Micro Hydro Plants (MHP) as Commercially Viable Enterprises

Duration: 2017-2018
Project Location: Baglung, Gulmi
Partners: AEPC
Status: Completed
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Rationale
In Nepal, the Micro Hydro Plants (MHPs) fall short in utilising its full potential. Moreover, most of the MHPs fail to collect sufficient revenue even to cover minor operation and maintenance costs resulting in indefinite breakdowns. Community owned MHPs face numerous opera-tional challenges due to weak managerial, technical and financial management. Moreover, insufficient productive loads, poor distribution of electricity, low tariffs and disputes are contributing factors of poor MHP management. In addition, financial sustainability of MHPs with long term impact can only be achieved through proper management and reliable services.

Our Solution
The project therefore, will address managerial knowledge gaps ensuring improved practices and the systems required to operate the projects in sustainable manner.

This project aims to increase MPH managerial capacity so that they can operate power projects as business entities. The project consists of ca-pacity building and awareness activities focusing on geographical areas covered by the RERL pro-gramme. This project proposes an exchange of knowledge between these successful pilots and other MHPs that can benefit from these ap-proaches. In this project, RERL will carry out field level activities to mobilize beneficiaries and management committee members encouraging them to adopt better management practices. Winrock will carry out baseline studies, design knowledge exchange programs, organize and implement training and monitoring activities in close coordination with RERL.