Upper Tamakoshi Hydroelectric Project
Upper Tamakoshi Hydroelectric Project | ||
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Annual generation 2,281 GWh | | |
Website tamakoshihydro |
The Upper Tamakoshi Hydroelectric Project is a 456 MW
The Upper Tamakoshi Hydroelectric Project was a Nepal national priority project. When it is operated at full capacity, it is the largest hydroelectric plant in Nepal, with a power output equivalent to two-thirds of Nepal's current power generation.[4][5] The project was entirely financed from domestic financial institutions and companies.
Financing and organization
The majority share (51%) of the Company is held by four public entities, namely, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Nepal Telecom (NTC), Citizen Investment Trust (CIT) and Rastriya Beema Sansthan (RBS). NEA has 41% stake, NTC has 6% and CIT & RBS each has 2% stake in the Company. Similarly, general public and residents of Dolakha District will have 15% and 10% share respectively. The remaining 24% share will be taken over by contributors in Employees Provident Fund (EPF), NEA & Companys staffs and staffs of financial institutions providing loans.[6]
Construction
Construction began in February 2011, and the project was originally slated for completion in July 2018, later pushed back to December 2018, and again pushed back to November 2019.[4][7][8] Works suffered new delays in 2019, and the most recently announced completion date of February 2020 is likely to be missed too.[3] Sinohydro is the contractor for civil construction,[9] Andritz Hydro GhmH of Austria is the contractor supplying electro-mechanical equipment,[10] and KEC International of India is the contractor for 220 kV transmission line and sub-station.[11]
The consultant for detailed design and construction supervision is Joint Venture Norconsult-Lahmeyer[12] in association with the local sub-consultant Total Management Services.[13] Norconsult is Norway's largest and one of the leading multidisciplinary consultancy firms in the Nordic region.[14] Lahmeyer is a German engineering consultant that in 2019 was re-branded to Tractebel Engineering GmbH[15] The same consultant, JV Norconsult-Lahmeyer was responsible for tender design for the project.[16]
The Nepalese Army was mobilized to provide security to the site in 2012, after it was reportedly threatened by vandalism and threats to construction staff and foreign workers.[17] Work was disrupted by the April 2015 Nepal earthquake, after which over 200 Chinese workers were evacuated.[4][18] Work was disrupted throughout the construction project by labor strikes.[19][20] The earthquake also caused damage to roads and bridges and buried the troop barracks at the site.[21]
In May, 2018, it was reported that the planned July completion date could be jeopardized by late assembly of the turbomachinery that had been delivered to the site.[22] Later in May, the country's finance minister said that the project was expected to contribute to robust national economic growth in 2018.[23]
Installation of penstocks began in February 2019 by a European contractor after the original Indian contractor failed to perform the work.[24] A new date of November 2019 was set for initial energy production.[8]
The project was put on hold prior to completion of its testing and commissioning phase in 2020, when skilled foreign workers became unavailable in Nepal due to the global
On 5 July 2021, the project was inaugurated by prime minister KP Sharma Oli.[2]
Infrastructure
Infrastructure for the plant includes a 142 m long, 25 m high underground powerhouse hall near Gongar Khola, with six Pelton wheels; a 22 m high × 60 m wide dam at Lamabagar; a 360 m high surge shaft; and a total of 16 km of headrace and tailrace tunnels.[4][5] The gross head will be 822 m.[4] Near the dam are two 246 m × 26 m settling basins to remove particles greater than 0.15 mm.[26]
In January 2019 it was reported that the project did not have approval to clear forest land for new double 220
References
- ^ "Salient Features". utkhpl.org.np. Retrieved 2017-02-27.
- ^ a b Republica. "Much-awaited Upper Tamakoshi Hydro Project formally starts production from Monday". My Republica. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
- ^ a b "Upper Tamakoshi project makes progress on penstock installation". The Kathmandu Post. 11 October 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Gregory B. Poindexter (May 11, 2015), "Nepal's 456-MW Upper Tamakoshi hydroelectric project suffers "settlement"", Hydro World
- ^ a b "Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project:Half of Tunnel Work Completed", The Kathmandu Post, February 24, 2013, archived from the original on April 18, 2016
- ^ a b "About Tamakoshi Hydro". utkhpl.org.np. Retrieved 2017-02-27.
- ^ Subedi, Bibek (December 22, 2016). "Upper Tamakoshi project: Completion deadline pushed back again". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 2019-03-17.
- ^ a b Penstock pipe-laying work commences at Upper Tamakoshi hydel project, Himalayan News Service, February 25, 2019 – via The Himalayan Times
- ^ H.E. Ambassador Yang houlan visits Upper Tamakoshi Hydroelectric Project being constructed by Sinohydro, States News Service, March 8, 2012, archived from the original on April 9, 2016
- ^ AG, ANDRITZ. "Upper Tamakoshi, Nepal". www.andritz.com. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
- ^ "KEC International gets Upper Tamakoshi HEP TRL". NepalEnergyForum. 2012-12-02. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
- ^ "Projects - Upper Tamakoshi Hydroelectric Project - Norconsult". www.norconsult.com. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
- ^ "Total Management Services". tms.com.np. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
- ^ "Norconsult AS". Norway Exports. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
- ^ "Lahmeyer International is now Tractebel". tractebel-engie.com. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
- ^ "Projects - Upper Tamakoshi Hydroelectric Project - Norconsult". www.norconsult.com. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
- ^ "Govt Mobilises APF Team at Upper Tamakoshi Project", The Kathmandu Post, December 16, 2012, archived from the original on April 16, 2016
- ^ Nearly 200 Chinese workers stranded but safe in hydropower project construction site in quake-hit Nepal, Xinhua News Agency, 2015-05-03, archived from the original on May 8, 2015
- ^ Michael Harris (March 24, 2015), "NEA forms committee to mediate worker strike at 456-MW Upper Tamakoshi hydropower plant", Hydro World
- ^ "Works Resume at Upper Tamakoshi", The Kathmandu Post, March 31, 2015, archived from the original on October 18, 2016
- República, July 19, 2015
- ^ New consultant to be hired for Upper Tamakoshi, Khatmandu: Online Khabar, May 10, 2018
- ^ "Khatiwada Dispels Doubts on 8pc Growth", The Kathmandu Post, May 31, 2018, archived from the original on June 12, 2018
- ^ Subedi, Bibek (2018-12-25). "Penstock installation task reassigned to Austrian company". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 2019-03-17.
- ^ Sangam Prasain; Prithvi Man Shrestha (August 31, 2020). "Pandemic delays dozens of projects, from mega to small, that were on their final lap". Khatmandu Post.
- ^ Ghimire 2012, p. 137.
- ^ Poudel, Umesh (January 30, 2019). "Electricity generated by Upper Tamakoshi hydro project could go to waste". The Himalayan Times.
Sources
- Ghimire, Subash (February 2012), "Land use planning in hydropower development – a case study of upper Tamakoshi Hydroelectric Project" (PDF), Kathmandu University Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology, 8 (1): 134–141,
Further reading
- Bishnudhan Niwas; Annapurna Marg Gyaneswor (February 2011), Project overview (PDF), Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Limited
External links
- Official website
- Media related to Upper Tamakoshi Hydroelectric Project at Wikimedia Commons