KATHMANDU: The Upper Tamakoshi Hydroelectric Project (UTHP) has started piloting its full-fledged production of 456 MW of electricity from Tuesday.

Since July 5, the electricity produced by the long-awaited hydropower project has been connected to the national grid. Ganesh Neupane, spokesperson for the project, said they will begin commercial production by August 31 at the latest.

UTHP has fitted six underground turbines and six generators each with a capacity of producing 76 MW of electricity. According to him, the UTHP has now been operating four out of six production units on a regular basis. “We have been operating four units in their full capacity mainly during the peak hours,” Neupane said.

The mega project that started construction a decade ago has crossed its first deadline by six years to start actual production. Initially, the total cost of the project was estimated at Rs 48.51 billion, which has escalated to Rs 84 billion with delays caused due to various factors.