Kathmandu, November 12

The Department of Electricity Development (DoED) has granted the licence to construct the Lower Seti hydropower project in Tanahu district with generation capacity of 104 megawatts to Tanahu Hydropower Ltd (THL) — developer of Tanahu hydropower project, which is under construction. THL is a subsidiary company of Nepal Electricity Authority.

According to Nabin Raj Sing, director general of DoED, the Lower Seti project will be constructed on ‘peaking run of the river’ model. “The Ministry of Energy has decided to issue the licence of Lower Seti to Tanahu Hydropower Ltd and the licence will be valid for two years,” he informed.

Kul Man Ghising, managing director of NEA, had directed Pradeep Kumar Thike, managing director of THL, to begin the process of getting the licence of the Lower Seti project during his site visit in April. As per Ghising’s direction, THL had begun process to acquire the licence for Lower Seti in April.

According to DoED, Lower Seti project was in the government’s basket of feasible projects that can be acquired by any developer after paying a set fee at once. THL thus paid Rs 20 million at once to acquire the licence for the project.

The Tanahu hydropower project utilises the water in its reservoir during the dry season so the Lower Seti project will benefit from the water that flows from Tanahu hydropower project. This means the Lower Seti project will get down stream benefit of Tanahu hydropower.

According to initial plans, the dam of Lower Seti project will be constructed 20 kilometres below the power house of Tanahu hydropower project. Lower Seti will be constructed at Keshartar, Tanahu, which is 33 km away from Narayanghat and 19 km upstream from the confluence of Seti and Trishuli rivers.

As per Sachen Gautam, communication expert of THL, the Lower Seti project will produce 440 million units of energy annually and its construction cost is estimated at $220 million.