Kathmandu, February 9
The Nepal Electricity Authority has started the renovation and modernisation of the 24 MW Trishuli Hydropower Station located at Trishuli Bazar, Bidur Municipality, Nuwakot.
As the equipment of the power plant - in operation since 1967 - has become old and dilapidated and there has been sedimentation of sand and mud in the reservoir, NEA commenced its renovation and modernisation. Through the renovation and modernisation project with an estimated cost of Rs 750 million, the electromechanical equipment in the control room of the power plant will be modernised and automated.
After removing the soil and sand accumulated in the reservoir spread over about 400 ropanis of land, a new 1,200-metre-long bypass canal with a capacity of 50 cumec water flow has been constructed from the right side of the reservoir.
Now electricity is being produced through this bypass canal.
Since the canal is in operation, the work of removing the soil and sand from the reservoir is continuing without stopping the power generation.
The restoration of the reservoir, which started last April, is being carried out with the goal of completing it by mid-February. The work of bringing the powerhouse into operation will be completed within one year. For this, a contract has been signed and some equipment are being produced, while power transformers and other equipment have been supplied to the centre.
A high-level team comprising Managing Director of NEA Kulman Ghising and Deputy Managing Director Dilghayu Kumar Shrestha visited the site and issued instructions to complete the entire work within the specified time.
After the restoration of the reservoir, the powerhouse can be operated at full capacity for four hours daily during the peak hours.
In winter, electricity can be produced by using the water stored in the reservoir and from the bypass canal.
Head of the centre, Baburaja Maharjan mentioned that the reservoir will not be used during the rainy season, and as the structure has been built to stop the flood from the shallow rivers, it will not be filled with sand and soil like in the past.
Bidur Municipality has prepared a master plan to develop the area surrounding the reservoir as a tourist hotspot. The plan of the municipality is to run a boat in the reservoir, build a footpath and a garden on the empty land.
The Trishuli hydropower project was built with Indian grant. It has been designed to generate 163 million units of electricity annually from the semi-reservoir Trishuli hydropower plant. In the last financial year 2021-22, 160 million units of electricity were produced from the power plant.
The initial capacity of the centre was 21 MW, which was built with the help of INR 140 million. Later, through its restoration, the capacity was expanded to 24 MW.
A version of this article appears in the print on February 10, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
