Independent Power Producers Association, Nepal (IPPAN) Chairman Ganesh Karki has urged French investors to invest in Nepal's hydropower sector.
Addressing the France-Nepal hydropower investment conference held in Paris, the capital of France, President Karki asked to invest in Nepal without worrying about the market as Nepal's hydropower plays an important role in meeting the growing energy demand in South Asia.
Before 1999, the total power generation capacity of Nepal was 250 MW, he informed that within 25 years after the entry of the private sector, Nepal has increased the power generation capacity to 3500 MW. It was mentioned that the private sector's contribution to the total capacity is 80 percent i.e. 2800 MW.
Reminding that the achievement of Nepal has the support and cooperation of France, he also said that there is cooperation between Nepal and France in bilateral relations, financial instruments, technical assistance and institutional development. It was mentioned that the
partnership reflects the shared commitment of Nepal and France towards sustainable, inclusive and climate-resilient energy development.
He also reminded of the support given by France in the financial management of the 216 MW upper Trishuli-1 hydropower project under construction on the Trishuli river.
It was reported that France together with the International Finance Corporation provided a loan of 453 million US dollars for the project. It is believed that the project will provide significant support to Nepal's electricity supply.
It was also informed that the Hydro Nepal project, which was launched in 2025 in collaboration between the French Embassy, Nepal Electricity Authority and Blue Water Intelligence, is helping to digitize river basins and improve climate forecasting capabilities using artificial intelligence-based tools.
It is said that it is possible to work in areas like carbon trade, cross-border trade and research in the same model as Hydro Nepal, which was started under public-private collaboration.
Mentioning that there is immense potential to work in business-to-business and public-private partnership models in Nepal, information was given that technology transfer, consulting, project development, green financing and innovation can also be done through such partnerships.
French companies specializing in hydropower equipment, smart grid systems and engineering services are believed to be suitable for collaborating with Nepal's growing energy market. Such partnerships are expected to help in job creation, economic growth and transfer of cutting-edge technology.
Keeping in mind the government's goal of producing 28,500 megawatts of energy by 2035, Nepal is preparing to welcome large-scale foreign direct investment. According to that target, 15,000 MW will be exported to India and the remaining 13,500 MW will be used domestically.
Presenting this ambitious plan as an opportunity for international investors in various sectors including insurance, banking, construction, education, health, infrastructure, etc., President Karki assured that IPPAAN will facilitate cooperation and investment promotion.
