- 2075 Bhadra · 6 marks
Replacing fossil fuel with non-conventional energy
Short answer
Conventional sources include fossil fuels and large hydro; non-conventional are renewables like solar, wind, biogas. In Nepal, fossil fuels can be replaced by using surplus hydropower for electric cooking and vehicles, promoting biogas and improved stoves, deploying solar pumps and micro-hydro, and supporting rural renewable programs.
What are the conventional and non conventional energy sources? How the fossil fuel can be replaced by non-conventional energy in Nepal?
Conventional energy sources are those that have been used widely for a long time and are mostly non-renewable or traditional: coal, petroleum, natural gas, large hydropower, nuclear and traditional biomass (firewood). Non-conventional sources are new, mostly renewable alternatives: solar, wind, micro hydro, biogas, modern biomass, geothermal, tidal and hydrogen.
Fossil fuel use in Nepal
Nepal has no proven oil or gas reserves, so all petroleum products (diesel, petrol, LPG, kerosene) and most coal are imported. They are used mainly in transport, cooking (LPG), industry and diesel generators. This causes a large trade deficit and pollution.
How fossil fuel can be replaced
| Use | Fossil fuel now | Replacement |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking | LPG, kerosene | Electric induction stoves (hydro), biogas, improved stoves |
| Transport | Diesel, petrol | Electric vehicles, electric buses, cable cars, electric railway |
| Industry heating | Coal, furnace oil | Electric boilers, biomass briquettes, rice husk gasifiers |
| Lighting (remote) | Kerosene | Solar home systems, micro hydro |
| Diesel generators | Diesel | Grid hydro, solar–battery, solar–wind hybrid |
| Irrigation pumps | Diesel | Solar water pumps, grid pumps |
| Water heating | LPG/electric | Solar water heaters |
Strategies
- Use surplus hydropower – especially wet-season surplus for EVs and electric cooking, with grid expansion and reliable distribution.
- Promote EVs – lower import duty on EVs and more charging stations; Nepal has already seen fast growth in EV imports.
- Rural renewable programmes – AEPC subsidies for solar, biogas, micro hydro and improved cooking stoves.
- Green hydrogen – produced from surplus hydro in the future, to make fertiliser locally and replace industrial fuel.
- Policy – carbon tax on fossil fuel, net metering for rooftop solar, energy efficiency standards.
These steps reduce imports, improve energy security and lower emissions.
✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)
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