The patented turbines will be installed in Nepal’s fast-flowing rivers to produce electricity. Together they have a capacity of 2.5MW.
Glow Tech Solutions, a renewable energy specialist based in the Nepalese region of Lalitpur, acquired licenses to install water turbines with a total capacity of 10MW in Nepal.
The Dutch government supports the deal through its Private Sector Investment (PSI) program and has provided funds to set up a joint venture between Glow Tech Solutions and Tocardo in Nepal. The joint venture will help install the 25 new turbines. It is also expected to facilitate the production and assembly of turbines locally if demand for turbine technology grows over the next few years.
Earlier this year, Tocardo signed contracts to sell its turbine technology into Japan and Korea. Tocardo is also pursuing opportunities in Europe and North America.
“This deal is one of the biggest in the water turbine market to date and confirms that Tocardo’s strategy is paying off,” says Hans van Breugel, CEO. “By starting with smaller turbines that are relatively easy to install and maintain, we are quickly developing this new energy source. The deal is central to tidal energy becoming a fully-fledged sector in its own right and to give it a significant place in the renewable energy mix.”
Over the past few years, Tocardo turbines have been extensively tested in Dutch coastal waters, paving the way for the building of larger-scale turbines of 500kW, 1MW and more – which can resist more aggressive tidal waters across the globe.
