Global and national energy scenario

Global energy scenario

• World primary energy use is about 600 EJ per year (roughly 14,000+ Mtoe) and keeps rising, with demand growing about 1–2% a year, mostly in Asia (China, India).
• Fossil fuels still supply about 80% of primary energy: oil about 31%, coal about 26–27%, natural gas about 23%. Nuclear is about 4%, hydro about 6–7%, and modern renewables (wind, solar, biofuels) a growing remainder.
• In electricity generation, coal is still the largest source (about one-third), while renewables supply about 30%, and solar and wind are the fastest growing.
• Per-capita use is very uneven: North America uses about 6–7 toe per person, while many African and South Asian countries use less than 1 toe.
• Energy use is the main source of CO₂ (about 37 Gt per year), so climate change and energy security drive the shift to renewables and efficiency.
• (Figures are approximate and depend on the year and source, such as IEA and BP.)

National (Nepal) energy scenario

• Total energy consumption is about 600–650 PJ per year, of which traditional biomass (firewood, dung, residue) is about 60–65%. Imported fossil fuels (petroleum, coal, LPG) are about 25–30%, and electricity is only about 4–6%. Modern renewable energy is under 2%.
• Sector use: residential about 60% or more, followed by transport, industry, commercial and agriculture.
• Production: Nepal produces almost all its electricity from hydropower. Installed capacity is above 3,000 MW (around 3,500 MW or more by 2025, including solar), owned by NEA and private IPPs. Nepal ended load-shedding in 2018 and now exports surplus electricity to India and Bangladesh in the monsoon season, but there can still be dry-season shortages.
• Nepal produces no petroleum or natural gas and only a very small amount of coal, so almost all its fossil fuel is imported (mostly from India), which makes up a large share of the trade deficit.
• Electricity per capita is about 400 kWh. Access to electricity is above 95% according to national reports (including off-grid).
• Potential: about 83,000 MW of hydropower (42,000 MW economically feasible), about 2,100 MW of solar, plus wind and biomass potential.

Comment

The world is still fossil-based but is moving towards renewables. Nepal's problem is the opposite: it is rich in clean hydropower but depends on biomass and imported fuel. Nepal should use its hydropower for electric cooking, electric vehicles and industry to replace imports.