The Nepali government is all set to install a 10 megawatt solar power plant at Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) in Lumbini province, reported The Himalayan Times.  The decision to install the solar power plant at GBIA was taken in an interministerial meeting held on Friday. The airport is in the final stages of construction. 

Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Barsha Man Pun and Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai held discussions on installing the solar plant at the airport. 

The ministers directed their respective ministries to prepare a detailed plan within a week for setting up the plant to promote the usage of clean energy in the Himalayan nation. The government plans to involve private players with funding supports from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). 

The ADB is already funding many other solar power projects in Nepal.

Nepal’s Energy Minister Barsha Man Pun announced in the meeting that the country is close to becoming self-reliant in hydropower and also asked for promoting solar energy as a source of alternative clean energy.