Micro Hydro Interconnected Mini Grid (MHIMG) for Rural Livelihood (A Case Study of Urja Upatyaka Mini Grid of Baglung District)

Abstract

Due to difficult geographic terrain from high hills to low plain of terai and vastly scattered settlements, the extension of national grid line is very sluggish in Nepal. To fulfil the electricity(especially lighting) needs of those far settled rural people, renewable energy technologies like MHS, SHS, gasifiers, etc. are in use through nodal government agency-AEPC and other agencies. In most cases, MHS are widely used as a source of electricity in rural are as. Duringinitial stages, the electricity consumption was limited to lighting only with allocation of 100 to 200 watts per HHs. However, with increase in use of various electrical appliances, which now became essential parts of life like TV, mobile, computer, fridge, etc. for domestic use and agroprocessing mills, poultry farming, shops, etc. as productive end uses for commercial use, the electricity is demand is very high in those rural areas, too. But their supply is often limited to certain hours of the day when demand at its peak.Furthermore, stand-alone MHS are suffering more due low load factor, reliability, quality and availability, abandonment after national grid line extension, etc. To address this constraint, AEPC/UNDP/REDP come up with testing a new approach to rural electrification connecting two or more plants in a locally-controlled distribution system, known as Micro Hydro Interconnected Mini Grid System. With the view that this decentralized network can improve the quality, reliability and availability of electricity produced by isolated plants and selling surplus energy, and buy deficit energy to/from the grid, to increase the income of MHS and entrepreneurs, sizable capacity to connect to national grid to avoid abandonment after national grid extension, further improving the living standard of rural people through job opportunities and reducing dependency on traditional energy sources, AEPC/UNDP/REDP hasstarted a pilot project with cost of around two crore to connect 6 MHPs totaling 107 kW power in Baglung district through 8km long 11 kV transmission line forming Mini Grid operated and managed by local community as Urja Upatyaka Mini Grid Co-operative. As being a pilot project, there are several difficulties as technical, managerial, economic and social issues from construction phase to till date which now in defunct for running around one and a half year only. This research paper will explore all the benefits, issues, challenges, revival activities and future planning through techno-socio-economic study of this project so that it could pave way forward for its revival and replication of another such project in upcoming days