By Our Correspondent
Hetauda, Mar. 5: The Bagmati province government has started discussions to produce urea fertiliser by producing hydrogen using electricity at a time when it is dependent on chemical fertilisers imported at high cost.
As Nepal has to import natural gas, the participants of the programme, organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock in Hetauda on Thursday, stressed on the long-term benefits of setting up a fertiliser industry by producing hydrogen using electricity instead of natural gas.

In the technical consultation and discussion programme with the scholars of Kathmandu University regarding the establishment of chemical fertiliser factory, the participants said that since its production cost is low, the future of energy is hydrogen.
They said the government should change its current policy to produce urea fertiliser from green hydrogen within the country.

Vice Chancellor of the University Prof. Dr. Bhola Thapa said that the cost price would be secondary in the issue of national security and added that green hydrogen technology was needed to increase the consumption of increasing power generation.

Stating that modernisation in agriculture was necessary where it was not possible only with organic manure, he said that the university would assist in the development of technology.
The team leader of the university's Green Hydrogen Lab, Dr. Biraj Singh Thapa pointed out the need to use renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions and said that hydrogen technology was increasingly making inroads in transport sector.

He said the government needed a policy to provide cheap electricity to the urea plant as it needed electricity to produce the hydrogen needed for the urea plant, as well as to refine nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the air.
Although the urea produced by this technology is a bit expensive for the time being, it will be cheaper than the natural gas, he said.

“Studies have shown that urea can be produced at Rs. 18-20 per kg if electricity is provided to the fertiliser factory at Rs. 3 per unit, he said that urea manure production from hydrogen is necessary to secure food security, energy security, energy management and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Basundhara Humagain said that the province government has planned to set up an agricultural fertiliser factory and an agricultural tool factory with Nepali investment.

Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning Dhaniram Sharma and Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Dr. Sharan Kumar Pandey said that it was necessary to set up a manure factory in the country to solve the problem of chemical fertiliser in a long-term manner.