Correspondence to Facilitate Investment for Lower Seti

Kathmandu: A letter has been sent to the government asking them to facilitate investment for the Lower Seti hydropower project in Tanahun. Tanahun Hydropower has written to the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation requesting to facilitate JICA through Nepal Electricity Authority.

Hydropower, which is constructing the Tanahun hydropower project with a capacity of 140 MW, has started the process for the construction of the Lower Seti Hydropower Project with a capacity of 126 MW. Kiran Kumar Shrestha, managing director of Limited, informed that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study report of the Lower Seti (Tanahun) hydropower project to be constructed by the company was submitted to the Electricity Development Department on October 2.

It is said that JICA and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have shown interest in the Lower Seti hydropower project. According to managing director Shrestha, the Lower Seti hydropower project will go into construction phase within two years. The cost of this project is estimated at 25 billion rupees. He said that the Lower Seti Hydroelectric Project is going to be constructed in the lower coastal area to use the regulated flow of the Seti River and the additional flow of the Madi River obtained from the 140 meter high concrete dam of the Tanahun Hydroelectric Project. Preparations have been made to call for tenders in 2081.

A detailed study for the construction of the Lower Seti hydropower project has been completed. The project had appointed an expert group and proceeded with the work. The three-member international expert group appointed to review the detailed sample report submitted by the consultant has already submitted the sample review report on 23rd June 2078. According to the model of the project submitted by the expert group, preparations have been made to do some more work.

The company has already received the survey permission for the project’s electricity production. In addition, a purchase agreement was signed with Wapcos Bharataranippan Koi Japan JV on March 29, 2075, for the purchase of consulting services for the preparation of detailed engineering design and bidding documents with the assistance of about 3.5 million US dollars received from the donor agency ADB.

Under the project, a 32-meter high dam will be constructed on Seti River near Saranghat in Bandipur Rural Municipality-6 and Devghat Rural Municipality-3. It is planned to divert the flow of water through Devghat Rural Municipality-3 and 4 through a 6.8 km long tunnel to produce Khasali electricity in a semi-underground power plant to be built on the right bank of the Kaligandaki River at Devghat, which is located about 500 meters below the confluence of the Seti River.

Some parts of Bandipur-6, Byas-13, 14, Devghat-2, 3 and 4, Rishing-1 and 3, Ambukhaireni-5 and 6, Bharatpur Metropolitan City-29 will be affected by the project. Devghat-4 Gaighat will generate electricity by constructing a semi-underground power plant.

The generated electricity will be integrated into the national power system through the 220 KV Damauli-New Bharatpur transmission line constructed by the Tanahun hydropower project. For this, about two kilometers of transmission line should be constructed.

52 million units of electricity will be produced annually from the semi-reservoir Lower Seti project. It is said that the estimated cost of the project is 25 billion rupees.