Breakthrough made in 1,500-metre Tanahun Hydropower project tunnel

By Amarraj Naharki,Tanahun, Dec. 17: About 1,500-metre-long tunnel of the 140-megawatt Tanahun Hydropower Project under construction in the district has been broken through.

Under Package-2, a 1,493-metre-long tunnel starting from the intake of the reservoir to the penstock pipe has been accessed through, according to the Tanahun Hydropower Project.

According to the project, the water from the main tunnel will be pumped into the underground power house through a 213-meter-long penstock pipe, and concrete lining work is underway for electricity generation. 

The penstock pipe installation work has reached the final stage. 

The second phase construction including the project’s tunnel, powerhouse construction and import, supply and installation and operation of hydromechanics and electromechanical equipment is being done by the Sino Hydro, China.

The construction of the civil structure of the powerhouse is also in the final stage, said project chief Shyamji Bhandari. According to Bhandari, the construction of the switchyard and installation of equipment in the powerhouse are underway. 

The overall physical progress of this package is about 62 per cent. 

Under Package-3, KEC International Limited, India is constructing a 220 kV double-circuit transmission line from Damauli to Bharatpur in Chitwan. 

Out of the 94 towers on the 34.7 km transmission line, the foundation of 78 towers has been laid and 69 towers have been erected. 

The overall construction progress of the package is 74 per cent. 

Recently, a high-level team of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Nepal Electricity Authority inspected the project under construction on the Seti River in Tanahun. 

The overall progress of the project under construction, which has been divided into three packages, is 63 per cent. 

The construction of the projects is targeted to be completed by May 2026, said Kiran Kumar Shrestha, Managing Director of the project. 

A 140-meter-high main dam is being constructed on the Seti River, which flows through the border of Rishing Rural Municipality-1 and Byas Municipality-5.

The construction progress of Package-1 is about 36 per cent. The construction of Package-1 is being done by Song Da Corporation, Vietnam-Kalika Construction Private Limited and Nepal JV. The total cost of the project is 505 million US dollars. 

Of that, Asian Development Bank will bear US$ 150 million, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) US$ 184 million, European Investment Bank US$ 85 million and the Government of Nepal/Nepal Electricity Authority US$ 86.