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May 9, 2026

The Strategic Case for Green Hydrogen

In a visionary article published on Spotlight Nepal, SEFNep Chairperson Mohan Das Manandhar highlights why green hydrogen is the missing link in Nepal’s journey toward sustainable prosperity. While hydropower provided the spark, hydrogen offers the stability needed for a truly resilient energy ecosystem.

Bridging the Seasonal Energy Gap

Nepal currently faces a seasonal paradox: a massive electricity surplus during the monsoon and a shortage during the dry season, when hydropower generation can plummet to less than 40% of installed capacity.

  • The Balancing Mechanism: Green hydrogen allows Nepal to convert that surplus wet-season energy into a storable form, ensuring energy security when river flows are low.

  • Ending Import Dependency: While 92.2% of households have electricity for lighting, only 0.5% use it for cooking. This gap has fueled a reliance on imported LPG, exposing the economy to global price shocks and depleting foreign reserves.

Decarbonization & Energy Justice

SEFNep’s focus on climate mitigation extends to the “hard-to-electrify” sectors that are critical for Nepal’s industrial and rural growth:

  • Industrial Transformation: Hydrogen provides a clean thermal solution for heat-intensive industries like brick kilns, tea processing, and agro-processing.

  • Community Resilience: We are drawing insights from pilot projects in Badigad Rural Municipality, where hydrogen produced from micro-hydro systems is already being tested in community kitchens.

Attracting Global Climate Finance

To position Nepal as a regional leader and a prime destination for international climate investment, Mr. Manandhar advocates for a robust multi-level climate governance framework:

  • Legislative Readiness: Nepal must urgently develop technical safety standards, electrolyzer certification systems, and storage protocols to move from experimental pilots to commercial scale.

  • Budgetary Commitment: The Chairman calls for a dedicated Green Hydrogen Development Program to fund R&D and university partnerships, ensuring Nepal becomes an innovator rather than just a technology importer.

“Hydropower gave Nepal electricity. Green hydrogen can help Nepal stabilize, store, and strategically use that energy for long-term sustainable development.” — Mohan Das Manandhar