22.5 MW Upper Thulokhola Hydropower Project Completed in Myagdi

Myagdi. The 22.5 megawatt Upper Thulokhola Hydropower Project has been completed in Raghuganga Rural Municipality-7, Myagdi. The physical structure, installation of equipment in the powerhouse, and construction of the transmission line for the project, promoted by Thulokhola Hydropower Limited, have been finished. Project Chief Shivsagar Yadav informed that the physical construction is complete and trial generation has begun.

"The dam, powerhouse, pipeline, transmission line, and installation of equipment in the powerhouse, along with internal testing, have been completed," he said. "We are now engaged in trial generation in the presence of the technical team from Nepal Electricity Authority."

Construction of the project began in BS 2078. The project site is located in a geographically remote and inaccessible area. A dam at Sugurthala, a desander (sedimentation pond), a 2,900-meter main pipeline, a 300-meter surge shaft pipeline, and a powerhouse at the base have been constructed. A 'switchyard' has been built on the powerhouse premises.

This project is of the 'run-of-the-river' type. A five-kilometer long 132 kV transmission line was constructed using 14 towers from the base to Bandi. The project's electricity has been connected to the central system via the 220 kV Dana-Khurkot transmission line, in collaboration with the Thulokhola and Chimkhola-Mangle-Rahughat Hydropower Projects from Bandi to Chimkhola.

Dev Energy Construction is the contractor for civil and hydromechanical works, and BFL Bangalore is the contractor for electromechanical works. Citizens Bank and Machhapuchhre Bank have invested 70% of the loan in the project, which has an estimated cost of NPR 3 billion. The promoter will invest 10%, and the remaining 20% will be raised from the general public through share issuance.

Three other hydropower projects have already been constructed on the Rahughat and its tributaries. The 35.5 MW Chimkhola-Rahughat-Mangle, promoted by Tundi Power, and the 48.5 MW Upper Rahughat Hydropower Project, as its cascade, are already operational.

The 21.3 MW Thulokhola Hydropower Project, constructed by Sanyukta Urja Limited on the tributary Thulokhola of Rahughat, began commercial production last Bhadra. The 40 MW Rahughat Hydropower Project, promoted by Raghuganga Hydropower, a subsidiary of Nepal Electricity Authority, is in the final stages of construction.