HYDRO SOLUTION'S CURRENT PROJECTS

Lower Modi Khola Hydroelectric Project, Parbat District, (20 Megawatts)

Situated in Parbat district, this project is a Run-of-River type with 20 MW installed capacity. With 552 km2 of catchment area of the source river Modi, a flow of 26.5 m3/s and 83 m net head, this plant will be able to generate about 123 GWh of energy annually. This project will be of cascading type, utilizing the tail-water of the existing Modi Hydropower Project owned by NEA. This project requires no additional access road and only about 4.5 km transmission line to connect it to the national grid. A 4.5 km long tunnel will convey the water from the headwork’s to the powerhouse. The construction period is expected to be about 3 years and the construction cost will be about 2.7 billion Nepali rupees. The Project will generate revenue of about 400 million rupees annually.

Documents and drawings of the project are being prepared to be submitted for the Power Purchase Agreement that will be negotiated with the Nepal Electricity Authority very soon. Financial Closure has been committed and in a final stage. The Ministry of Environment has approved the Environmental Impact Assessment report of the Project. Land procurement has been initiated and technical parameters are currently under final reviewing for construction. Site mobilization should begin within the second quarter of 2008 and the project is expected to complete within three years.

Namarjun Madi Hydropower Project, Kaski District, (12 Megawatts)

This project is located in Kaski district. Installed capacity of the plant has recently been upgraded to 12 MW and hence the annual energy generation is about 65 GWh. The source river Madi has a catchment area of 365 km2. Also, the project has a design discharge of 25 m3/s and net head of 60 m. Total construction cost is about 2 billion Nepali rupees and it would take about 2.5 years for the construction. All major structures are above ground, along with a 1.5 km long canal. The project is presently in the detail design phase. The power purchase agreement is ready to be signed.

The mobilization of the project will begin immediately after monsoon of this year.

Upper Madi Hydroelectric Project, Kaski District, (20 Megawatts)

This project is located immediately downstream of the proposed Namarjun Madi project. Though not a cascading type project this project has the same source river as that of Namarjun Madi. Design flow is 20 m3/s and the net head available is 119.4 m, which gives the installed capacity of this project about 20 MW. A 4 km tunnel is the major structure of this project. Construction time and cost is about 3 years and 2.5 billion Nepali rupees respectively. Annual revenue from sale of the 120.5 GWh estimated energy is about 520 million Nepali rupees. The project is in detail design phase.

Site mobilization will take place around 2009.

Upper Mai Hydroelectric Project, Illam Distrcit, (9.98 Megawatts)

Located in Ilam district of Eastern Development Region, this project has Mai Khola as the source river which has about 61 km2 catchment area. Installed capacity of this scheme has now been upgraded to 9.98 MW. The project has a net head and flow of 375 m and 3 m3/s respectively. Water conveyance is by a 4 km long surface pipe and a kilometer of penstock. 3 years of estimated construction period costs about 1.6 billion Nepali rupees for this project. Annual generated energy is estimated to be 40 GWh and hence the revenue 160 million Nepali rupees.

The project definition report has been completed. Also, the detailed design, involving both Sanima and BPC, has recently started. Land acquisition has now completed and construction of the road up to the project site has just started. Hydro Lab has been doing the headworks modelling and is ongoing. Negotiation for a Power Purchase Agreement and the detail designing is underway. Site mobilization has already been started.

Hadi Khola Small Hydroelectric project, Sindhupalchowk District (4 Megawatt)

The project is located on Hadi Khola at Thangpaldhap VDC of Sindhupalchowk district, about 75 km North-East of Kathmandu. The site is well connected by road with Kathmandu. The source river is a major tributary of Indrawati river and has a catchment area of 46 km2 at the diversion location. Design flow and net head are 2.29 m3/s and 288.5 m respectively, thus giving about 4 MW after optimisation. Annual energy generation is expected to be about 18 GWh. A bottom intake (tyrolene) is one unique feature of this scheme. For power evacuation, only 3 km of 11 kV transmission line is needed up to Tipeni from the project site.

The environmental study of this project has been approved by the Government of Nepal. Discussions with local stake holders are ongoing to create a conducive environment for project development. This project can be completed in about 18 months of construction mobilization.

Rigdi Khola Small Hydroelectric Project, Chitwan district (3 Megawatt)

Located just 8 km south of Muglin Bazar, access to this site is very easy and positive point for development. This Run-of-River project lies in Dahkkhani VDC in Chitwan district. With a 40% exceedance flow and a net head of 251.8 m, installed capacity of this project is about 3 MW. A tunnel, 2 m diameter and 1520 m long, a steel penstock of 635 m long, a surface powerhouse are the major structures of this scheme. Being close to settlements, only about 8 km transmission line (11 kV) has to be built to supply power to the Muglin Bazar. Also proposed is one more 11 kV transmission line, of about 16 km, to be terminated at Pipletar, Anbu Khaireni. Feasibility level study has already been completed which shows benefit-cost ratio of about 1.75 and internal rate of return 20%. Also, cost per kW of this scheme comes little less than 1800 US$.

Kali Gandaki Gorge Hydroelectric Project, Mustang & Myagdi District, (200 Megawatt)

This project can be optimized to have an installed capacity of about 200 MW. Project spreads out from Ghasa in Mustang and Dharap in Myagdi district and is located at about 120 km North-West of Pokhara. The whole project lies in the trekking route to Jomsom. Kali Gandaki, one of the major and snow fed perennial rivers, is the source for this project. At the project location, this river forms one of the world’s deepest gorge and hence very favorable for a dam site. Catchment area of the river is 3,570 km2. Net head and design flow is 500 m and 49 m3/s respectively. Annual generation capacity is about 1000 GWh. Construction most probably would take about 4 years with cost at about 2,000 US$ per kW. Major structure of this scheme would be a 5.5 km long, 4 m diameter tunnel and a surface powerhouse. Feasibility study, including topographic survey and hydrology study is undergoing and about to get finished very soon. EIA study is in final stage of completion.

Modi Valley Transmission Line Project, Kaski District

Recently, there are several hydropower projects envisioned along the Madi River in Madi Valley. In this context it is considered necessary to have a common transmission line in the area to evacuate power from all the projects around that area. This proposed transmission line project not only will help supply enough power in the near cities like Pokhara but also the whole nation by integrating into the National Transmission. This common line seems very lucrative both technically and financially. This project is sure to help boost the overall development of the whole Madi valley.

A single circuit 132 kV line and capacity to evacuate about 100 MW of power seems appropriate. This line will then be able to handle not only power generated from the projects which are in pipeline in very near future but also additional power from other proposed projects later in its lifetime.

This line will have a route starting around from the proposed Upper Madi – 0’s powerhouse location (close to Sikles) running along the Madi river till the proposed Upper Madi’s powerhouse location, then reaching the Kali Gandaki A’s substation at Lekhnath Chowk in Pokhara. The total aerial distance is about 27 km. Still in a primitive stage, this project’s cost would be around 230 million NRs.