Energy Media Alumni Articles

Nepal Can Learn from Brazil Experience of Electrification

By Shree Ram Subedi, Brasilia, Brazil

As Nepal, ranked second in hydroelectric potential in world, is struggling to electrify the rural households, the number one country in terms of hydroelectric potential, Brazil is bracing to universalize the access to electric energy by 2008.

The ambitious plan, entitled Luz Para Todos, meaning "Light for all" in Portuguese, is an initiative to reduce poverty and hunger using energy as a development vector. It seeks to guarantee access and use of energy for all Brazilian citizens until 2008.

 "We are working to provide energy services to 12.5 million people by 2008, said, Nelson Jose Hubner Moreira, Executive secretary of the Ministry of Miners and Energy, addressing   the first Global village Energy Partnership(GVEP) Assembly and global village energy conference, that kicked of here on Thursday. 

"We need to establish the fact that electric energy as right of citizens," he said. Till 1992, only 11 per cent Brazilian homes were not covered by the electricity service. By the end of the 2003, the percentage of people has been reduced to 3 percent thanks to the reforms in the power sector and growing participation of the private sector. Brazil has almost electrified its urban areas as 99.6 percent of urban households had access to electricity. In case of rural homes, access level is only 75 percent. The total installed capacity of Brazil electric system is 96,799 MW.

Of the 182 million populations, 12 million lack access to electric energy, and of them 10 million lives in rural areas in Brazil.

"Luz Para Todos encourages the rural folks to get electrified as the government provides 75 percent of the total electrification costs," said Jose Ribamer Loboto Santana, who is the Programme Director for Luz Para Todos. "With the need of additional 3.8 US dollar, the programme is expected to accelerate the process of social inclusion of this enormous fraction of the population," he added.

GVEP was launched at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in August 2002, in Johannesburg, in South Africa. Its goal is to increase modern energy services in a manner that enhances economic and social development and reduces poverty. GVEP work is carried out under a 10-year "implementation based" programme.

Today, GVEP boasts over 700 partners from a broad range of stakeholders group including developed and industrialized country governments, the private sector, NGOs, the academia.

GVEP is active in 26 partner countries, developing and implementing energy poverty reductions programs targeting millions of people without energy access. Though Nepal is not a GVEP member country, senior officials with GVEP secretariat here says that Nepal can be included in the GVEP network if she formally requests. "Nepal should make a formal request to include in the GVEP network and we will consider the proposal, Abeeku Brew Hammond, GVEP Programme manager said.

Once Nepal is included it will further ensure investments in rural electrification and promote alternative energy in the country. Also at the conference, participants representing Asia region applauded the success of Biogas, solar and micro hydro in Nepal.