Nepal to focus on electrifying transport, cooking sectors: Energy minister

Kathmandu, Nov 4 (PTI) The Nepal government is focusing on electrifying the transport and cooking sectors to reduce dependency on fossil fuels, the Himalayan nation's energy minister said on Tuesday.

Speaking as the chief guest at an event, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Kulman Ghising said that while some progress has been made to achieve this, much remains to be done.

He said that the use of electric vehicles is increasing, but more efforts are needed to replace cooking gas with induction stoves and other forms of clean energy in households.

Ghising stressed that the government will now focus on wind energy generation, which, he said, has been neglected so far.

He also called on the private sector to take the initiative for promoting it, expressing the government's readiness to extend cooperation.

Speaking at the event, Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) Executive Director Nawa Raj Dhakal said the AEPC has been working in multiple areas, including solar energy, irrigation, drinking water, and improved cooking stoves.

It has achieved milestones in the areas of energy efficiency and energy transition in the past three decades of its establishment, he said.

He added that the centre has so far provided clean energy access to around 3.7 million households, and more than 40,000 jobs have been created in the clean energy sector through the mobilisation of 500 companies. PTI SBP GRS GRS GRS