Nepal

Anjal Niraula

💼 General Manager, Gham Power

🎓 MSc Sustainable Energy Systems, University of Edinburgh (2014)

Anjal is an off-grid solar expert focussed on addressing Nepal’s energy access problems. As the general manager of Gham Power, he works with solar microgrids to provide a reliable electricity source to those who need it. Specifically, Anjal oversees research and development, as well as product strategy, including business development, design, and engineering. So far, Gham Power has installed 2.5MW of solar microgrids across more than 2,000 projects, helping people to avoid using environmentally damaging fuels such as diesel and kerosene.

Anjal is a member of the Future Energy Leader’s group with the World Energy Council where he works on the Energy Access taskforce. In 2018, he was featured in the Forbes 30 under 30 Asia list.

Anjal Niraula, Changemaker

Chevening has totally reshaped the way I pursued my career, from a young engineer to an entrepreneur—I think that this journey was only possible because of Chevening.

What were you doing before Chevening? What were your career aspirations at the time?

While growing up in Nepal, we were experiencing about 18 hours of power cuts a day. That really made me want to tackle the energy access problem as one of my career goals.

Before applying for a Chevening Scholarship, I was working as an engineer in a renewable energy firm. Back then I really thought that this problem could only be addressed with a technical solution. Over time, I came to realise that the problem was more complex and that you have to understand the policy and financial side of things in order to address this problem holistically. So I felt that there was this knowledge gap that I had to fulfil and that’s where the Chevening Scholarship came in.

How do you feel your Chevening experience has influenced where you are now?

The best parts of my Chevening experience were the friends that I made and the network that I built, both professionally and personally. Now I can claim to have friends in most corners of the world. The professional experience has helped to shape my decisions and my research in my professional work here in Kathmandu.

What message would you share with the next generation of Chevening Scholars?

The one year of your Chevening experience will go by faster than you can imagine. Try to pause to soak up the atmosphere and experience, and have fun!


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