Floods put Nepal’s hydroelectric power to the test
The growth of hydropower in Nepal faces a new challenge following severe flooding in August. The disaster damaged power plants, halted some electricity generation, and highlighted the risks of relying on an energy source vulnerable to the ever-changing conditions of the Himalayas.
The disaster occurred after a mountain glacier collapsed on the border between China and Nepal, killing more than 1,400 people and leaving thousands missing. In addition to the loss of life, there was a severe impact on the country's energy infrastructure.
Nepal obtains over 90% of its electricity from hydropower . This high reliance has allowed it to boost electricity production and exports in recent years. However, it also leaves the system vulnerable when several hydroelectric projects are damaged simultaneously.
Floods leave 410 MW out of service
Seven hydroelectric projects were directly affected by the disaster; the problems also disrupted generation at other facilities, taking 410 MW out of service.
The figure represents approximately 10% of Nepal's electricity generation capacity ; in addition, six projects under construction were damaged. These facilities had a combined planned capacity of 508 MW.
On the other hand, government assessments determined that the energy sector accounted for nearly half of the damage caused to infrastructure.
The consequences were not limited to facilities and equipment either; weeks after the disaster, the search continued for hundreds of workers, engineers and other employees missing in tunnels belonging to hydroelectric facilities.
Reliance on hydroelectricity increases Nepal's vulnerability
For years, Nepal has taken advantage of its many rivers to expand its electricity capacity; the development of hydroelectric power plants generated employment and income and allowed the country to begin selling its surplus electricity to India and Bangladesh.
However, the floods forced the suspension of those exports; the situation showed that damage to the facilities can affect both the domestic supply and an activity that Nepal intends to turn into a source of income.
Therefore, energy security takes on greater importance; an electricity matrix concentrated on hydroelectricity can suffer severe disruptions when several projects located in the same region are exposed to related phenomena.
The Himalayas increase the risk to hydroelectric power plants
The location of the facilities poses another challenge; much of the hydroelectric infrastructure is located in steep river valleys fed by glaciers.
These places are exposed to floods, landslides, and other geological processes that can occur one after the other.
According to World Weather Attribution , the August disaster was linked to a combination of climatic and geological factors. Long-term warming, glacial retreat, and terrain instability all contributed to creating the conditions for the massive rock and ice avalanche.
The problem also extends to the permafrost ; its thawing can reduce the stability of the terrain in some mountainous areas, while the retreat of glaciers modifies the environment where numerous facilities are located.
A problem that transcends the borders of Nepal
Furthermore, changes in glaciers have regional consequences. The Himalayan and Hindu Kush glaciers supply water to approximately 240 million people in the mountainous regions and another 1.65 billion people downstream in South and Southeast Asia.
For this reason, specialists are proposing to monitor the Himalayas on a regional scale. The goal would be to identify the most vulnerable areas and develop early warning systems that would allow for a faster response to potential disasters.
Nepal will have to adapt its hydroelectric projects
Following the damage, authorities and representatives of the sector have begun to consider changes in the design and operation of hydroelectric power plants .
One of the proposals involves relocating electrical installations to higher ground and further away from riverbeds. This measure aims to reduce their direct exposure during major floods.
Improvements to evacuation plans, the construction of safe shelters, and the expansion of remote operation systems are also being considered. This last option would reduce the number of workers remaining inside vulnerable facilities during an emergency.
From the Government, the Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, has defended the need to study what happened in order to develop systems capable of reducing future risks .
The World Bank has also warned that Nepal needs a hydroelectric infrastructure prepared to anticipate, withstand and recover from the risks inherent in a territory like the Himalayas.
Solar energy is gaining ground in the energy debate
At the same time, the disaster has revived the debate on diversifying the electricity mix ; Nepal lacks coal or gas-based generation capacity and relies heavily on its water resources.
Solar energy appears as a possible way to reduce that concentration. A report published by the German development agency GIZ in 2024 argued that a planned addition of solar generation could make Nepal's electricity system more resilient.
Diversification does not imply abandoning hydroelectric power; instead, it would allow for other sources of generation when hydroelectric plants suffer interruptions or when river conditions hinder production.
Energy security will condition hydroelectric expansion
Ultimately, the disaster is forcing Nepal to reconsider how it intends to develop its enormous hydroelectric potential. Its rivers continue to offer opportunities to produce electricity, supply the domestic market, and generate revenue through exports.
However, increasing installed capacity without adapting infrastructure to the risks of the Himalayas could increase the exposure of the electrical system.
The challenge will be to combine the expansion of hydroelectric power with better protected power plants, alert systems, safer operations, and a less concentrated electricity grid.
The August floods have shown that Nepal's energy future no longer depends solely on how much electricity it can produce from its rivers. It will also depend on how well it can protect that capacity from a mountainous environment subjected to increasing climatic and geological pressures.
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