The tunnel of the 40-megawatt Bhotekoshi–1 Hydropower Project, which is under construction in Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality of Sindhupalchok with private sector investment, was broken through on Monday.

The project is being constructed with the investment of Electro Power Company. The tunnel construction was started in February–March 2024. The tunnel is 2 kilometers and 638 meters long, with a width of 2.5 meters and a height of 2.5 meters. The company involved in the tunnel construction, Bhugol Infrastructure Company, has estimated that it will take 6 to 8 months to complete the finishing of the tunnel.

The construction of the dam is taking place in Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality Wards 3 and 4, while the powerhouse is being built in Ward 5, Chaku, of the same municipality. Mohan Bikram Karki, Chairman of Electro Power, the main investor, informed that other works are underway with the plan to begin production by the coming February–March 2025. According to him, the estimated cost of the project is around NPR 9.56 billion, and all the investors are Nepali.

This is the third hydropower project based on the water of the Bhotekoshi River. The first project, built with foreign investment, is generating 45 megawatts from the Bhotekoshi, while the 102-megawatt Middle Bhotekoshi has started electricity testing in the transmission line from Tuesday. The project has planned to begin test production within a week. Preparations have also been made to construct the 46-megawatt Bhotekoshi–1 Project at the lower part of the Middle Bhotekoshi powerhouse. A group led by Electro’s Chairman Karki has prepared to build the project by acquiring Kalika Energy Limited. The project will be constructed in Bahrabise Municipality and Tripurasundari Rural Municipality.

Source: Kantipur