Abstract
Cooking energy has an important role in energy demand of Nepal. Over the last decade, import of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) has increased by 3.3 times as an alternate cooking fuel to kerosene and firewood. The growing subsidy burden to endorse modern fuel switching from traditional energy sources and high import of LPG are challenges for sustainability and energy security. This paper analyzes the future residential cooking energy demand and its environmental and economic impacts from 2015 to 2035 using a Long-range Energy Alternative Planning System (LEAP) tool. In 2035, the LPG demand for cooking is projected to be 26.5 million GJ, 16.3 million GJ, 45.2 million GJ and 58.2 million GJ for business as usual (BAU), low growth rate (LGR), medium growth rate (MGR) and high growth rate (HGR) scenarios, respectively. To substitute LPG with electricity in the cooking sector by 2035, an additional 1207 MW, 734 MW, 2055 MW and 2626 MW hydropower installation is required for BAU, LGR, MGR and HGR scenarios, respectively. In the MGR scenario, substituting LPG with electricity could save from $21.8 million (2016) to $70.8 million (2035) each year, which could be used to develop large-scale hydropower projects in the long term.
Highlights
Energy is indispensable in modern societies to maintain the current standard of living
Scenarios were analyzed using the Long-range Energy Alternative Planning System (LEAP) model based on the historical data set, and the current trends of energy demand in residential sector with the assumed national GDP growth rate
The results obtained from the LEAP model for national energy demand, residential sectors and cooking sectors along with fuel type consumption— especially focusing on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and electricity—in four different scenarios are presented here (Figures 4–7)
Summary
Energy is indispensable in modern societies to maintain the current standard of living. As the country moves into the development era, energy demand in all sectors (e.g., industrial, commercial, residential, transportation, and agricultural) will significantly increase. Among these five different sectors, the residential sector has the major share in country’s energy consumption and this sector is predominated by traditional biomass resources such as firewood, animal dung and agricultural residues. These resources are mainly used for cooking, lighting and heating applications.
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