The three-day 'World Hydropower Conference’ kicks off today in Bali, Indonesia

Bali, Indonesia; The ‘World Hydropower Conference’ is kicking off in Bali, the capital of Indonesia, on Tuesday.

The three-day gathering is being organized under the theme 'the basis of sustainable development'. The program that accommodates large participation of experts, presenters and representatives from Nepal, India and all over the world, is officially inaugurated on Tuesday.

Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation (MoEWRI) Navin Raj Singh, Director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Prabal Adhikari, Chief Executive Officer of Hydro Electricity Investment and Development Company Limited (HIDCL) Arjun Kumar Gautam, Deputy General Manager of HIDCL and President of Nepal Hydro Power Association Arun Rajouria and Founder of Bizbell Investments Pvt Ltd and executive member of the International Hydropower Association (IHA) Sushil Pokharel are representing Nepal in the conference. For this purpose, more than 40 Nepali participants including Managing Director of Urja Developers Pvt Ltd Bhanu Pokharel and representatives of Independent Power Producers Association Nepal (IPPAN) have arrived in Bali.

Indonesia, the country that is planning to prioritize the development of renewable energy, is trying to convey the message 'Indonesia can be the hub of green energy in South Asia' through the conference. The gathering, which is to be inaugurated by President of Indonesia Joko Widodo, will be attended by companies, equipment manufacturers, consultants and others working in the hydropower sector from around the world.

In the opening session of the program, the Chairman of the IHA and the Former Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull, the Minister for Energy and Minerals of Indonesia Arifin Tasrif, among others, are scheduled to deliver their important views. Similarly, on behalf of Nepal, Joint Secretary of the MoEWRI Singh, NEA official and Usha Khatiwada from IPPAN will present the working papers.

As the importance of storage and pump storage hydropower projects is increasing in the context of Nepal, the working papers presented from the country’s stakeholders will focus on the purpose of attracting foreign investment in such projects. According to participants, they will put forth their views on promoting Nepal as a destination for green and renewable energy development, along with emphasizing on bringing in investments in the area.