Kathmandu, August 25

As many as 107 hydropower  projects with collective installed capacity of 2,356 MW electricity are under construction in Nepal.

According to Nepal Electricity Authority, these projects are in different phases of construction. Most of these will be completed within a year.

The Upper Tamakoshi, which is listed as a national pride project, is expected to be completed this year. Although it is supposed to complete by mid-January next year, the project is likely to miss the deadline, read the NEA report released on its 33rd anniversary.

The government has the target of generating 3,000 MW electricity in the next three years and increase this quantity to 5,000 MW in the next five years. Progress report of the under-construction projects show that the target will be met easily well before the deadline.

Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Barshaman Pun pledged to extend all sorts of support to complete the projects on time.

Nepal Electricity Authority Executive Director Kulman Ghising said the projects were being monitored on a regular basis. “If things are going as per the details provided to us, the government is likely to meet the target well before the deadline.”

The government has promised power supply to each and every part of the country. Utilisation of biogas, solar plants, and wind energy is on the government’s priority list. Likewise, generation of energy from waste has already begun.

According to NEA, 74 projects with the capacity of generating 1,658 MW electricity have not entered implementation phase due to financial issues.

NEA has annulled its power purchase agreement with two small hydropower projects- Narayani Shankar Biomas and Tame Stream.