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Nepal runs almost entirely on hydropower yet has developed under 5 % of its theoretical potential: roughly 3,900 MW across 225 plants, against about 42,000 MW classified as economically developable (WECS / World Bank). With 6,472 MW under construction and 545 PPAs signed covering 12,135 MW, the binding constraints are no longer resource or demand — they are head-specific turbine selection, sediment handling, and rehabilitation of an ageing run-of-river fleet.
| Electricity access (WDI) | 94.0 % (2023) |
| Installed capacity | ~3,900 MW hydro across 225 plants (NEA, 2026) |
| Hydropower potential | ~83,000 MW theoretical; ~42,000 MW economically developable (WECS / World Bank) |
| Utility / grid operator | Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) |
| Key fact | ~90 % of generation is run-of-river — monsoon surplus ~1,200 MW for export, winter imports from India |
Data: World Bank World Development Indicators (EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS, 2023), CC BY 4.0 · IHA country profiles · Nepal Electricity Authority.
Terrain sets the specification. Himalayan schemes deliver high heads at modest flows, so Pelton units dominate above roughly 400 m net head — Upper Kalanga Gad at 589 m and Lower Solu at 497.5 m are representative — while Francis machines cover the 80–300 m band, as at Mewa Khola (188 m) and Lower Thulo Khola (105 m). Turgo and crossflow units are common on smaller high-head schemes. Sites above 1,900 m elevation, again as at Mewa Khola, also need insulation and cooling ratings set for thin air from the outset rather than corrected later.
Two demand pools drive procurement. New build is the larger one: 227 operational independent power producer projects totalling 3,459 MW, with 213 projects and 6,472 MW under construction, and power purchase agreements now open for schemes below 10 MW. Rehabilitation is the faster one: flooding in the Trishuli basin in September 2026 damaged 12 hydropower plants and removed more than 10 % of national generation capacity, sharpening demand for runner replacement, control system upgrades and flood-resilient design. TCH HYDRO scope: turbine and generator supply. Auxiliary systems are assembled with our manufacturing partners and executed on site with HIER.