ABSTRACT
Hydrogen technology has become a prime focus of concern for the energy sector in recent years. Hydrogen fuel has been acclaimed as the fuel of the future and certainly, extensive researches and developments are paving wonderful path to march towards that direction. Most specifically, green hydrogen fuel produced from the renewable sources like solar energy, wind energy, hydropower etc. is the chief concern for everyone worried about the carbon emissions, environmental safety and sustainable energy mix throughout the world. Transportation sector has been speculated as the most prominent end user of the hydrogen fuel which will ultimately wipe out the carbon foot print from the transportation sector forever. The mountainous topography and perennial river systems flowing from the high Himalayan ice caps to the southern plains, provides enormous hydropower potential. The development of hydropower systems to produce green hydrogen energy for commercial applications can change the future of hydropower development in the entire Himalayan region. Nepal should focus on the adaptation of hydrogen technology in transportation sector, most specifically hydrogen fueled trucks to substitute the diesel fuel deep rooted in the transport industry. Transportation sector in Nepal is almost completely reliant on the imported fossil fuels which has posed several instances of challenge to national energy security. National economy is continuously degrading because of the widening trade deficit crippled by excessive import bill of fossil fuels accounting for more than 15 percent of total import bills which sadly is heading towards exponential annual increment. Diesel, which has been critically acclaimed as the cause of the bad carbon footprints tops list of the fuel import statistics. Increasing imports of oil due to an increasing number of fossil fuel vehicles is causing environmental degradation, creating public health risk, and undermining the energy security of the country. This should be changed now and forever. Petroleum products has been majorly consumed by the transportation sector where almost all the vehicles are imported from foreign nations again crippling the national economy. The adaptation of hydrogen fueled trucks as a preliminary step towards hydrogen economy and technology can surely wipe out the dark phase of the trade deficit and detrimental effects of the petroleum products as aforementioned.