KATHMANDU, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Himalayan Hydro Expo, an international expo with participation of hydropower producers, hydro equipment manufacturers and electrical equipments kicked off here on Friday.
Nepal Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun inaugurated the three-day expo which more than 85 exhibitors from various countries including Nepal, China, India, Bulgaria, Austria, Germany, South Korea, Sweden and Britain have participated, according to the organizer -- Independent Power Producers' Association Nepal (IPPAN).
IPPAN, the representative body of Nepal's private sector power developers, said the event has provided a common platform for stakeholders in the hydropower sector to buy and sell equipments, make orders, share knowledge about new and emerging technologies in the sector. It is the second edition of the expo after the first was held in January last year.
During the inauguration, Nepali Vice President Pun said that Nepal should adopt appropriate policies and laws in order to attract domestic and international investment in the hydropower sector amid their growing interest in investing in the sector.
He also highlighted the potential of Nepal's domestic market for hydropower developers as the Himalayan country has been able to produce just over 1,000 MW of electricity so far despite being rich in water resources.
"We are still importing a lot of electricity and we have to produce more electricity to be self-reliant in the sector," he said. "We can export the surplus energy after using it from kitchen to streets and to vehicles."
Equipment suppliers from across the world are given the platform to attract power developers in Nepal during the expo, according to the organizer. Chinese and Indian exhibitors have been the dominant presence in the expo, IPPAN said.
During the inauguration, IPPAN president Shailendra Guragain said that the expo would help the Nepali government to meet its target of producing 1500 MW of electricity in the next 10 years.
