Hydropower development In Nepal

S Hydropower Installed Commissioning Type Location Funding Sources

N Project Capacity Year
(MW)

1. 0.5 1911 Run-of-River Kathmandu Government of

Pharping
District Nepal
Hydropower Station

2. 24 1967 Run-of- Nuwakot Nepal

Trishuli Hydropower
River District Electricity
Station
Authority
(NEA)

3. 15 1979 Run-of- Nawalparasi NEA

Gandak Hydropower
River District
Station

4. 60 1982 Storage Makwanpur NEA, funded by

Kulekhani I
(Reservoir) District World Bank, Kuwait
Hydropower Station
Fund, UNDP,
Overseas Economic
Cooperation Fund,
and OPEC Fund
5. Kulekhani II 32 1986 Storage Makwanpur NEA, funded by
Hydropower Station (Reservoir) District World Bank, Kuwait
Fund, UNDP,
Overseas Economic
Cooperation Fund,
and OPEC Fund
6. Marsyangdi 69 1989 Run-of-River Tanahun NEA
Hydropower Station District

7. Khimti I Hydropower Plant

60 2000 Run-of-River Dolakha Himal Power Ltd.
District
8. Modi Khola 14.8 2000 Run-of-River Parbat NEA
Hydroelectric District
Power Plant

9. Bhote Koshi 45 2001 Run-of-River Sindhupal Bhote Koshi Power

Power Plant Company Private
Hydropower development In Nepal
chowk Limited (BKPC)
District

10. Kaligandaki A 144 2002 Run-of-River Syangja NEA

Hydroelectric Station District

11. Chilime Hydropower 22 2003 Run-of-River Rasuwa ChilimeHydropower

Plant District Company Ltd.

12. Middle Marsyangdi 70 2008 Run-of-River Lamjung NEA

Hydropower Station District

13. Mai Hydropower 22 2014 Run-of-River Ilam District Sanima Hydropower

Station

14. Upper Marsyangdi A 50 2016 Run-of-River Lamjung Sinohydro-

Hydroelectric Station District Sagarmatha Power
Company Pvt. Ltd.

15. Chameliya Khola 30 2018 Run-of-River Darchula NEA

Hydropower Station District

16. Kulekhani III 14 2019 Storage Makwanpur NEA

1 Hydropower Station (Reservoir) District

17. Upper Tamakoshi 456 2021 Peaking Dolakha NEA

Hydropower Project Run-of-River District

18. Solukhola Dudhkoshi 86 2023 Run-of-River Solukhumbu Sahas Urja Ltd

Hydropower Project District

19. Rasuwagadi 111 2024 Run-of-River Rasuwa Chilime

Hydropower Project District Hydropower
Company Limited
(CHPCL) and
NEA
20. Upper Trishuli 1 216 2026 (planned) Run-of-River HakuVillage, Nepal Water and
Hydroelectric Plant Jumla Energy
District Development
Hydropower development In Nepal
Company
(NWEDC)
21. Bheri Babai 46 To be Multipurpose Surkhet Government of
Diversion determined District Nepal, Department
Multipurpose Project of Irrigation

22. Mistri Khola 42 To be Run-of-River Myagdi Robust Energy

Hydropower Project determined District Pvt. Ltd.

23. Khani Khola 30 To be Run-of-River Dolakha Sasa Engineering

Hydropower Project determined District Hydropower Pvt.
Ltd.

24. Middle Tamor 73 To be Run-of-River Tamor River Sanima

Hydropower Project determined Area Hydropower

Hydropower Capacit Location Status

y
Less
than
1MW
(KW)
1. Syaurebhumi 23 Nuwakot District Operational
Micro Hydro
2. Leguwa Khola 40 Dhankuta Operational
Micro Hydro District

3. Chimal 90 Taplejung Operational

Micro Hydro District

4. Ghunsa 35 Ghunsa Operational

Micro Hydro
5. Godavari 5 Kathmandu Operational
Micro Hydro
6. Horunga 130 Terathum Operational
Rivulet Micro Hydro District

7.
Hydropower development In Nepal
Hydropower development In Nepal

Classification of Hydropower projects:

Based on head:
Low head < 15m Axial flow turbine like Kaplan turbine is used
Medium head 15m to Mixed flow turbine like Francis turbine is used
50m
High Head >50m High turbine usually Pelton turbine is used

In Nepal:
Hydropower Projects Heads Turbine Remarks
Very High Head >350m Pelton turbine No others
High head 150m-350m Pelton or Francis For Higher specific speed Francis
turbine ismore compacted and
economical than pelton turbine
Medium head 60m-150m Francis turbine Usually adopted
Low head <60m Between 30-60m both Kaplan Francis is more expensive but yields
or Francis turbine can be used. higher efficiency at part load and over
load.
Kaplan turbine is generally used under
30m head.
Very low head <=15m Propeller turbine are Adopted only when there is practically
commonly used. no load variation.

Based on capacity (Dandekar and Sharma)

Hydropower Plant Plant Capacity Hydropower Plant Plant Capacity
Micro Upto 5MW Micro Upto 100Kw
Medium 5MW to 100 MW Mini 100Kw to 1000Kw
In Nepal,
High Capacity 101- 1000 MW Small 1 MW to 25 MW
Super Capacity >1000MW Medium Large 25MW to 100 MW
Large >100MW
Hydropower development In Nepal
According to Prof. Mosony
Hydropower Plant Plant Capacity
Midget Upto 100 Kw
Low Capacity 100KW to 1000 KW
Medium 1000 Kw to 10MW
High Capacity 10MW to 50 MW

Based on Hydraulic Features:

Conventional Hydro-Plants It utilizes the normally available hydraulic energy of the flowing water of
river.
Pumped Storage Plants It utilizes the concept of recycling the same water by using pumping
selecting.
Tidal Power Plants Plants like ‘La Rance ’ in france have been in operation using tidal
energy of sea water.

Based on constructional features:

a. Valley Dam Plant
- It is a dam in the river that creates a storage that develops the necessary head for the power house and
power house is located at toe of the dam. They are medium to high head plants.
- Examples: Three groges Projects [ 24000 MW]
Karnali-Chisapani Project [10800 MW] – Proposed.
b. Diversion Canal Plants
c. Depression Power Plant
d. High Head Diversion Plant
Based on Storage Capacity
RoR (Run-of River) Plant PRoR (Peaking RoR) Storage plant Pump Storage plant

 Don’t regulate the  It is constructed with  Regulates the  Plants having water
hydrograph of river by pondage that can hydrograph of river by at u/s as well as d/s of
one or more seasons. regulate daily or weekly one or more seasons. powerhouse, that
 Utilizes the minimum hydrograph to run the  Dam is constructed to collects water in u/s
flow in a river having plant under full capacity. create storage reservoir reservoir by pumping
no appreciable pondage  Flexibility in meeting that develops the water from d/s
on its u/s. peak electricity demands necessary head for the reservoir using
 Barrage or weir is and higher revenue powerhouse. cheaper energy.
constructed across the potential.  Power house is located  Energy (used to
river, to rise and  Higher cost and at foot of dam or away pumped) is generated
maintain the water environmental impacts from dam. during peak hours.
level at certain height. due to storage  Water is carried from  In this, same water is
 Usually low head (up to infrastructure. tunnel to power house. utilized again and
70m). Best Suited For:  Carry over from again, so no water is
 Suitable only on a monsoon to dry storage. wasted.
Hydropower development In Nepal
perennial river with  Rivers with uneven flow  Suitable for medium to  In this, turbine also
sufficient dry weather patterns. high head project. worked as a motor
flow generate designed  Locations where energy  If powerhouse is at toe reversibly.
power. markets reward peak- of dam- concentrated 
 Limited storage is used time generation. fall hydroelectric
to meet hourly or  Suitable for areas with development.
weekly function of variable demand or river  If power house is far
flow flow, where peak from dam- divided fall
demand pricing benefits development.
justify added costs.

Examples: Examples: Examples: Examples

Khimti- 60 MW Marsyandi -69MW Kulekhani I – 60MW Tanahun Hydropower

Bhotekoshi- 36 MW Middle Marsyandi- 70 MW Kulekhani II- 32 MW Project
Kaligandaki A- 144 MW Kulekhani III-14 MW - 140MW
Sunkoshi – 10 MW - Proposed
- Tanahun District
Budhi Gandaki
Hydropower Project
- 1,200MW
- Planned
(Reservoir)
- Gorkha District
Kaligandaki
Multipurpose Project
- ~400 MW(Est.)
- Conceptual Stage
- Gandaki
Province