KATHMANDU: The construction of Thulo Khola Hydropower Project has begun in Raghuganga Rural Municipality, Myagdi.

According to the Department of Electricity Development (DOED), Samyukta Urja Pvt. Ltd received the construction license for the 21.3 megawatts (MW) project on 2076-12-10.

Thulo Khola Hydropower Project Chief Rabindra Hamal said the construction of a 115 meters-long tunnel has completed. “A 9 kilometers access road and a 37 meters long bailey bridge over the Rahughat River have been built to connect the dam site stretching from Bandighat to Sugarthala and the power house at Chahri,” he said.

The project, which will have 3,600m long tunnel and one km long penstock pipeline, has a 400m altitude difference between the outlet and powerhouse. SSSN Sakura JV is the civil contractor of the project whereas an electromechanical contractor is yet to be finalized, Hamal added.

The estimated cost of the project stands at Rs. 3.57 billion and is aimed to complete by December 2023. A consortium of banks led by Nepal Bank Limited has invested in the project.

Construction works of dam, tunnel and power house of the project is gaining momentum after access road was built in the remote area. The project started two years ago. Currently, the design of the power house is ready and a wall has been erected to prevent erosion at the power house site.

Power produced from this project would be transmitted to the national grid through 132-KV Rahughat sub-station to be constructed at Ambang in Raghunga Rural Municipality-3.

Thulo Khola is a tributary of the Rahughat River. According to the DOED, four hydropower companies received license for producing combined 146.8 MW power in the Rahughat River and its tributaries.

One company has applied for construction license for a 5.5 MW project. Similarly, three projects with a capacity of 24.65 MW each are being surveyed. Raghuganga Hydro Power Limited, a subsidiary of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), is also constructing the 40 MW Rahughat Hydropower Project on the Raghughat River.