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Nepal has installed around 5,000 megawatts of hydro-power capacity, which is only a small fraction of the country's vast technical potential. China, by contrast, accounts for nearly one-third of the world's hydro-power capacity and has emerged as a global leader in renewable energy technology and equipment.

That contrast became increasingly evident during our three-week participation in the Seminar on Renewable Energy Industry Promotion and Energy Management for Developing Countries, held in Chengdu and Shanghai from May 21 to June 10, 2026. Organized by the Biogas Institute of China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (BIOMA) with support from China's Ministry of Commerce, the programme brought together 21 delegates from seven developing countries, including Nepal, Malaysia, The Gambia, Honduras, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Mauritius.

Turning Waste into Energy

The seminar introduced participants to a broad range of renewable energy technologies, including waste-to-energy incineration, biogas, hydrogen, geothermal energy, hydro-power development, straw biogas and agricultural waste utilization, bio-diesel, wind power generation and solar fuels. These sessions were delivered by professors, lecturers, scientists and experts from prestigious Chinese universities and institutions. A common theme ran through almost every session: waste should be viewed not as a burden but as a valuable resource. Sessions on biogas technology demonstrated how anaerobic digestion converts agricultural residue, kitchen waste and animal manure into clean energy for cooking, heating and electricity generation. The process also destroys harmful pathogens. The remaining residue serves as organic fertilizer. China's approach varies by location: densely populated urban areas rely on waste-to-energy plants, where land is scarce, while rural communities make greater use of biogas systems that utilize locally available agricultural waste. Interaction with trainers, experts and fellow participants from different countries added further perspective on how these technologies could be adapted in Nepal and other developing nations facing similar constraints.

A Hydrogen Opportunity for Nepal

Among the many technologies discussed, hydrogen production left the strongest impression.

Nepal experiences a recurring surplus of hydro-power during the monsoon season, when rivers are at their fullest and electricity generation exceeds domestic demand. China's efforts to convert excess renewable electricity into hydrogen suggest a promising way to store surplus energy instead of allowing it to go unused.

For Nepal, where only about 12 percent of technically feasible hydro-power potential has been developed against an installed capacity of roughly 5,000 megawatts, hydrogen could eventually become an important component of a more diversified and resilient energy strategy. China, by comparison, accounts for close to 30 percent of global hydro-power capacity and has become a major exporter of hydro-power equipment and technology. The scale of that gap is part of what made the seminar's discussions feel directly relevant, given that both countries are working with the same underlying resource: water.

Long-Term Planning Matters

The seminar also explored China's broader approach to sustainable development. A lecture on Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization emphasized that economic growth and environmental protection need not be competing objectives. Instead, careful planning can integrate both from the outset. The session reinforced a wider theme of the programme: that international cooperation and a shared, long-term vision are central to advancing renewable energy and sustainable development, a point also made by BIOMA's director at the seminar's closing ceremony.

This philosophy was evident during visits to the Chengdu Urban Planning Exhibition Hall, where long-term urban development strategies were showcased, and the Dujiangyan Ecological Water Conservancy Project. Built more than 2,300 years ago, the project includes the Fish Mouth Levee, a structure that splits the flow of the river to manage flooding and supply irrigation. The system continues to perform this function today and has also been integrated with tourism, allowing the original engineering to remain in active use while supporting the local economy in a way its designers could not have foreseen.

Lessons Beyond Technology

The programme offered more than technical knowledge. It underscored the importance of policy coherence, long-term planning and international cooperation in advancing renewable energy. Our appreciation goes to the Government of China, BIOMA, the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu and the Nepal Electricity Authority for facilitating our participation in this programme. We are equally grateful to S.C.I.G. International Nepal Hydro Joint Development Investment Company and its parent company, Sichuan Energy Development Group Co., Ltd for their support. The group's investments in Nepal's Marsyangdi basin—including the 135-megawatt Manang Marsyangdi Hydropower Project and around 601 megawatts of associated projects—reflect the growing scope of Nepal-China cooperation in the energy sector.

Our experience in China strengthened our understanding of renewable energy technologies and broadened our perspective on how policy, innovation and international collaboration can accelerate the clean energy transition. Many of the approaches we observed cannot simply be replicated in Nepal, but they offer valuable insights that can inform the country's efforts to harness its abundant renewable energy resources and build a more sustainable energy future.

The authors are engineers at Nepal Electricity Authority. Views expressed here are personal.

By Surendra Kumar Sah and Ram Sharan Timilsina