Feasibility of Hydrogen Production from Micro Hydropower Projects in Nepal

The current energy crisis in Nepal clearly indicates that the future energy-demand cannot be met by traditional energy-sources. Community-based micro-hydropower operations are considered to be one of the most feasible options for energy development. However, the power plant capacity factor remains very low due to limited commercial and business opportunities. Generation of hydrogen (H2) from the unutilized power could eradicate this problem. This new energy carrier is clean, can save foreign currency and increases the energy-security. The aim of this study is to determine the potential of H2 production from excess energy of a micro-hydro project in rural Nepal using “HOMER” from NREL.