Transport sector electrification in a hydropower resource rich developing country: Energy security, environmental and climate change co-benefits

This paper analyzes the co-benefits of transport sector electrification in terms of reductions of greenhouse gas and local environmental emissions, improvement in energy security and employment generation during 2015–2050 in the case of Nepal—a developing country with large hydropower potential. A bottom up energy system model of Nepal based on the MARKAL framework was developed to assess the effects of meeting a part of the land transport service demand through electrified mass transport system and electric vehicles. The present study shows that if the share of electricity based transport services is to grow from 10% in 2015 to 35% by 2050, the hydropower generation capacity would have to increase by 495 MW by 2050 as compared to the base case, while the annual electricity generation in 2050 would have to increase by 7.86 TWh. As a result, the cumulative total imported energy would decrease by 14.6% in the 35% transport electrification scenario as compared to the base case during 2015–2050. In addition, the cumulative greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by 12.9% (74.7 million tons CO2e) in the same scenario during 2015–2050.

Research highlights
► Co-benefits of transport electrification in Nepal during 2005–2050 are analyzed.
► Transport electrification would improve the energy supply security of the country.
► It would mitigate emissions of greenhouse gases and local/regional air pollutants.
► Use of electric mass transport would reduce the transport sector investment cost.
► Transport electrification would generate additional employment as a co-benefit.