Installation at Raj Brewery in Nawalparasi, Nepal, will power factory operations, with excess solar energy going to the grid.
Today, Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) company InfraCo Asia celebrated the inauguration of Nepal’s largest-ever grid-connected rooftop solar project at Raj Brewery in Nawalparasi, Nepal. Installed by Simple Energy Private Ltd., Raj Brewery will use the solar energy generated to power its factory operations. The installation has a 500kW capacity and net metering in place. Excess energy will be distributed through the main grid for other industrial and household uses.
The installation at Raj Brewery is part of a portfolio of rooftop solar projects for commercial & industrial clients being developed by Simple Energy, the joint venture between InfraCo Asia and Saral Urja Nepal (SUN). To date, Simple Energy has completed 2.6MW of rooftop solar installations in Nepal, making it the largest owner of rooftop solar assets in Nepal. The portfolio will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, supporting Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate action.
In the first phase of its operations, Simple Energy aims to install 8MW of grid-connected rooftop solar projects in major cities across Nepal. Projects are currently in place in Rupandehi, Nawalparasi, Chitwan, Makwanpur, Dhanusa and Morang districts.
Nepal has approximately 2,700MW of installed power generation capacity, 96% of which comes from hydropower. In addition to contributing to the diversification of the country’s energy mix, projects in the Nepal Rooftop Solar portfolio will lessen the effect of the dry season power outages for the factories they serve, and increase the service reliability for households and commercial and industrial sites that rely on the grid.
InfraCo Asia CEO Claudine Lim said, ”In less than two years, Simple Energy has established itself as the leading market player in Nepal’s rooftop solar market. We look forward to watching Simple Energy expand across more cities, bringing solar power to industrial sites and helping Nepal diversify its energy mix.”
Simple Energy CEO Apar Neupane said, ”Nepal’s appetite for renewable energy, and rooftop solar in particular, is growing. As a company at the forefront of renewable energy in Nepal, we are showing that clean power and profit can go hand in hand. As we grow, we will continue to lead the way through our business and our practices, in particular prioritising the hiring of women and training them to install rooftop solar systems.”
Raj Brewery’s Managing Director Raj Bahadur Shah said, “We strive to reduce our carbon footprint as a responsible corporate citizen. Energising our power requirements by installing solar rooftop for our brewery is our effort towards a cleaner world.”
By 2025, more than 35MW of rooftop solar is expected to be installed in Nepal – with Simple Energy on target to deliver more than 50% of the rooftop solar installation.
In the picture: (Left) The 500kW rooftop solar installation at Raj Brewery, Nawalparasi. (Right) Raj Brewery Managing Director, Raj Bahadur Shah and InfraCo Asia CEO, Claudine Lim cut the ribbon at the system’s inverter room.
