A 30-megawatt hydropower project is set to be constructed on the Myardi Khola, which flows along the boundary between Nasong Rural Municipality of Manang district and Marsyangdi Rural Municipality of Lamjung district. Myardi Khola Hydropower Company Pvt. Ltd. has moved forward with the construction process of the project.

This run-of-the-river project is estimated to cost Rs 3.90 billion 97 million, which translates to an approximate cost of Rs 130.3 million per megawatt. According to the company, the total project cost including interest is estimated at Rs 4.36 billion 51 million, with the per-megawatt cost including interest estimated at Rs 145.5 million.

The project’s promoter company has already prepared the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report and submitted it to the Ministry of Forests and Environment. The ministry has called on all concerned stakeholders to provide suggestions and information regarding the potential environmental impacts of the project.

According to the report, the project is expected to generate an average of 173.44 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity annually. Of this, 122.56 GWh will be produced during the monsoon season and 50.88 GWh during the winter season.

The generated electricity will be connected to the national transmission system through a 10-kilometer-long 132 kV transmission line, linking it to the 220 kV Manang Hub Substation located in Dharapani.

The main components of the project include headworks, intake, gravel trap, desander basin, headrace tunnel, surge tank, penstock pipe, powerhouse, tailrace, and transmission line. The headrace tunnel will be approximately 3,450 meters long, while the penstock pipe will have a length of 1,449 meters.

Urjasanchar