Gurkhas UK Ltd misses IBN deadline

Kathmandu, July 13

The Gurkhas UK Limited that had applied for permission to generate electricity using wind energy in Nepal, has automatically disqualified as it failed to submit the required documents within the given deadline of May 31.

The Investment Board Nepal had given the company four months to submit its preliminary report, along with cost estimation of the project, on January 31, 2016.

However, the company neither submitted any document nor contacted IBN in this regard.

Information Officer at IBN Rabi Bahattarai told The Himalayan Times that the board was yet to take a formal decision. “Although no decision has been taken officially, the board will explore other options to produce wind energy.”

An IBN official seeking anonymity said, “Technically, on the basis of the January 1 Cabinet decision and the IBN board’s decision on January 24, expiry of the four-month deadline given to the company means that it has disqualified.”

No study has been carried out to determine if wind energy production in Nepal is feasible.

However, the Gurkhas UK Limited had submitted a formal letter to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is also the chairperson of the IBN, seeking permission to produce at least 300 megawatts electricity in the first phase and up to 3,000 megawatts.

Executive chairman of the company Basanta Bahadur Bhujel admitted that his company had failed to submit the required documents to IBN. However, he claimed that the UK based energy company had sent an email to the Prime Minister on March 7.

“The UK based Pera Technology Company had written to the Prime Minister before the expiry of the deadline, but Gurkhas UK limited has not submitted any document,” he said. Though the company claimed that it submitted the said letter, the IBN says it received no document or letter from the company.

According to the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre, so far no study has been carried out to determine if wind energy production in Nepal is feasible, although United Nations Environment Program had claimed in a report that Nepal had the potential to generate up to 3,000 megawatts of electricity using wind power.