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The 11 MW Dudhpokhari Chepe Hydropower Project, being constructed on the border of Gorkha and Lamjung districts, has reached its final stage. With the start of wet testing of hydro-mechanical and civil structures, the project is moving closer to commercial electricity generation.

According to the project developer, Dudhpokhari Chepe Hydropower Company, water is currently being flowed through the main structures to test the intake, desander (sediment settling basin), penstock pipe, and surge tank. The company stated that this testing ensures safe operation of the structures, leakage control, and performance efficiency as per design standards.

Project engineer Pratik Acharya said that all civil and hydro-mechanical works have already been completed, while electro-mechanical installation work is now progressing at a fast pace. “We aim to complete the electro-mechanical works within Asar and begin electricity generation,” Acharya said.

Although the project’s electricity generation schedule under the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) extends until Oct/Nov, the company has advanced the timeline and is working to connect electricity to the national grid about four months ahead of schedule.

Located in the Ajirkot Rural Municipality of Gorkha and Dudhpokhari Rural Municipality of Lamjung in Gandaki Province, the project is a run-of-river (RoR) scheme based on the Chepe River. It will generate 11 MW of electricity using a design discharge of 1.5 cubic meters per second and a net head of approximately 847 meters.

The project is expected to generate around 69.34 GWh of energy annually from two Pelton turbines, including 45.44 GWh during the wet season and 23.90 GWh during the dry season.

The generated electricity will be transmitted via a 33 kV transmission line to the Nepal Electricity Authority’s Kirtipur substation, located about 22 kilometers away.

According to the company, most construction and equipment installation works have already been completed, and the transmission line construction is also in its final phase. After completion of wet testing, turbine and generator tests will be conducted before connecting the project to the national transmission system.

Originally initiated at a capacity of 8.836 MW, the project was later upgraded through a design revision to 11 MW. Once operational, it is expected to contribute additional clean domestic energy to the national power system.

Urjasanchar