Kathmandu: Stakeholders from the government, non-government, and private sectors have highlighted the importance of promoting collaboration among stakeholders for “energy efficiency in the dairy sector.”
In a program organized in Kathmandu on Friday, experts of the dairy sector and government representatives addressed the need for concerted efforts to enhance energy efficiency within the dairy industry to address rising energy demands.
Dairy operations, according to participants of the event, are inherently energy-intensive, involving substantial electrical and thermal energy consumption for processes such as pasteurization, chilling, and distribution.
The event provided a strategic platform for stakeholders in Nepal’s dairy sector to collectively explore and devise solutions for improving energy efficiency across the entire dairy value chain, according to organizers of the event.
Speaking at the program, Prahlad Dahal, president of Nepal Dairy Association, emphasized the significance of energy audits in achieving significant energy utility cost reductions for dairies. By adopting energy-efficient practices, the dairy sector can ensure savings of up to 50 percent of energy cost.
The program aimed to foster knowledge exchange on the economic and environmental benefits of energy-efficient practices, offer practical insights for adopting energy-efficient technologies, and promote collaboration among stakeholders for future initiatives.
Subha Laxmi Shrestha, assistant director at Alternative Energy Promotion Center (AEPC), also highlighted the importance of creating awareness on policies related to energy-efficient practices. He further suggested for the policy incorporation into financial acts for effective implementation of policies related to energy efficiency.
Manoj Yadav, director of Suryodaya Milk and Beverage Industry highlighted the practical aspect to implement the energy-efficient policies. Awareness is required to integrate energy efficiency considerations in the process of factory establishment, he said. ‘Dairy sector entrepreneurs are still confused on the pay-back period of energy efficient investments. This needs to be addressed without delay’.
Dinesh Dulal, head of sustainable banking at NMB, shared insights on energy efficiency efforts since 2008, focusing on low-hanging fruit recommendations with a payback period of 3 to 4 years and financing opportunities for investment in energy-efficient practices.
In light of the evolving energy landscape within Nepal’s dairy sector, the event was jointly organized by Nepal Dairy Association (NDA) in collaboration with Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness (CASA), a project being implemented by Swisscontact.
The CASA program aims at promoting sustainable agriculture by forging strong partnerships with the private sector to unlock constructive ways to deal with climate change challenges as well as promote solutions for the efficient use of resources.
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