The 111 MW Rasuwagadhi hydropower project under construction in Rasuwa has achieved 97 percent completion. Rasuwagadhi Hydro Power Company has reached the final stage of the project being constructed on the border of Gosaikunda Rural Municipality Ward No-1 and Ward No-2.

The company said that the work in all areas of the project is progressing rapidly. The company’s goal is to complete all the project work and start power generation within September/October.

Earlier, it was expected that the project would be completed and production would start by June/July. But the production schedule was affected as the connection work of turbine shaft and generator shaft under electro-mechanics was delayed.

According to the company, the turbine shaft and generator shaft were taken to India for testing and arrived at the site on May 9, 2023 after testing, which affected the connection schedule.

Currently, the project is in the process of rapidly linking hydro and electro-mechanical equipment, spearheaded by Indian company Voith Hydro, the recipient of the electro-mechanical contract. While the electro-mechanical work faced interruptions during the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s now advancing satisfactorily.

Similarly, the installation of hydro-mechanical equipment is also underway. The civil and hydro mechanical work is being done by China International Water and Electric Corporation, China.

Various factors have contributed to shifts in the production timeline, including the destructive earthquake of 2072 BS, blockades, floods in the project area during monsoon season, ongoing landslides affecting access roads, and the global Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the company’s new schedule, the project aims to start production within September/October 2023. According to the company, the estimated cost to complete the construction within this period is Rs 17.56 billion excluding interest.

Furthermore, the transmission line for the same project is contracted to MS Royal Construction Company. The previous contractor, Mudbhary & Joshi Pvt Ltd, whose contract had faced multiple extensions due to various reasons, has had its agreement terminated due to the lack of a concrete basis for work completion within the stipulated time.