HAN positive about operating captive plants round the clock

KATHMANDU, Feb 26: A committee formed to study the possibility of harnessing of spare energy generated from captive power plants has proposed to the hoteliers to use their captive power plants round the clock during dry season.



During a recent meeting with officials of Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), coordinator of the committee and Immediate Past President of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Kush Kumar Joshi said optimum utilization of captive power plants at business firms could be the best solution to resolve power crisis. “In return, we are preparing to propose to the government some sort of incentives to those firms to ensure regular power supply,” Joshi told the meeting. [break]



The government had formed the committee under Joshi about a couple of weeks ago. The committee includes representatives from the Ministry of Finance (MoF), Ministry of Energy and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). Joshi said they would make similar requests to malls, business complexes and industries as well.



Responding to Joshi, HAN President Shyam Sundar Lal Kakshapati said the hoteliers were positive about the proposal. “We have taken the committee´s proposal in a positive manner,” Kakshapati said, adding: “We have already started preliminary discussions as we need to make sure whether hotels are in a position to operate power plants round the clock.”



Some of the hoteliers said they were positive about operating captive power plants round the clock provided that the government ensures diesel at subsidized price and ensures uninterrupted supply. “There should be interrupted supply of fossil fuel if we are to operate power plants 24 hours a day. Also, our operating cost must not rise,” a hotelier told Republica.



Though HAN is positive about operating captive power plants round the clock, the real worry is that generators at majority of big hotels cannot operate round the clock.



Dinesh Tuladhar, managing director of Hotel Himalaya, said there is no reason why hotels should be hesitant about making contribution for resolving national crisis. “But incentives have to be proposed accordingly, as most of the hotels will have to make additional investment for the installation of new captive power plants,” added Tuladhar.

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