- The transmission line of the 102-megawatt Middle Bhotekoshi Hydropower Project in Sindhupalchok has started testing.

- The project has planned to begin production testing within a week.

- Due to local obstructions and other issues, it has become almost certain that electricity generation will begin after 14 years.

The transmission line of the 102-megawatt Middle Bhotekoshi Hydropower Project, constructed in Sindhupalchok, began testing on Wednesday. The project, with Chilime - a subsidiary of the Nepal Electricity Authority - as the main promoter, will begin production testing within a week.

Ramgopal Shivakoti, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bhotekoshi Hydropower Company, said that since the work at the Bahrabise substation has not been completed, electricity will be transmitted through a roughly 40 km transmission line to the New Khimti substation. Therefore, the electricity tested at the Khimti substation was examined on the line connected up to the Middle Bhotekoshi power house. “Now we will start production within a week,” Shivakoti said, adding, “Testing of the project’s dam, tunnel, and power house machinery has been completed. Once the transmission line is successfully tested, there will be no problem in power generation.” According to him, arrangements have been made to transmit only 220 kV of Middle Bhotekoshi’s power into the 400 kV transmission line of New Khimti.

There are plans to connect the generated electricity to the national grid through the Dhalkebar substation. It has become almost certain that electricity generation will begin nearly 14 years after the project was launched. The project, which began in 2011, had repeatedly faced interruptions in construction due to local obstructions, internal administrative problems, COVID-19, floods and landslides, earthquakes, and blockades at the Indian border. The process of contractor selection and other preparatory works had been initiated by Kulman Ghising. Later, when Ghising was forcibly transferred during Radha Gyawali’s tenure as Energy Minister, the project’s construction was halted for some time.

The project’s dam is located at Chaku in Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality, near the Chinese border, while its power house is situated at Jambu in Bahrabise Municipality. The project includes a 7.5 km tunnel. Last year, after water was sent through the tunnel, leakage occurred, which was later repaired. At present, all structures of the project have been tested. Based on a run-of-the-river design on the Bhotekoshi River, the project cost has already exceeded Rs. 20 billion. At the time of commencement, the estimated cost was Rs. 12.33 billion. Since the project could not be completed on schedule to begin electricity generation, it has been paying more than Rs. 5 million daily just in loan interest. With the rise in investment, the per-megawatt cost of electricity generation is expected to exceed Rs. 210 million. The project, which aims to generate 542.2 million units of electricity annually, is estimated to earn Rs. 2.8 billion in annual revenue.

Source: Kantipur