Monday, November 18, 2019

Upper Trishuli 3A adds 60 MW in national grid

Upper Trishuli 3A (UT 3A) hydropower project finally started evacuating its full capacity of 60-megawatts (MW) to the national grid from today.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli inaugurated the project from the control room in Singhadurbar via video conference, whereas finance minister Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada and energy minister Barsha Man Pun formally inaugurated the project jointly by switching it on at the project site at Kispang-5 in Nuwakot.
Speaking at the inauguration programme, managing director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Kul Man Ghising said that the project is the backbone for Kathmandu Valley’s distribution system. “The Upper Trishuli 3A and Kulekhani reservoir projects will be crucial in reducing import of electricity from India,” he said, adding that the country bought 2.8 billion units of electricity costing Rs 22 billion from India during the last fiscal year.
The cost of the project – when it was completed – has swelled to Rs 17.32 billion from the initial estimate of Rs 14.43 billion. “The project cost was managed by the government, NEA and a concessional loan of $114.7 million from the Export-Import Bank of China and built under engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) model.”
The Upper Trishuli  3A – that has already started commercial generation of electricity – has 8 per cent contribution to the energy consumed in the country. The Upper Trishuli 3A and Upper Bhotekoshi hydropower projects are finally set to generate 753.2 million units of electricity worth Rs 6.29 billion annually.
The NEA has signed an agreement with the CGGC for the civil powerhouse, dam, tunnel and structure, electro-mechanical and hydro-mechanical works in engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) model on July 30, 2010. The construction started from April, 2011..
The project that has dam in Rasuwa and powerhouse in Nuwakot was delayed during the construction due to the devastating earthquakes and blockade in the southern border in 2015. After the contractor was unable to complete the project within the initial deadline of May 31, 2014, the NEA had extended the completion deadline by 34 months to April 2019. “The 60 MW capacity project's 30 MW electricity from the first unit was linked to the national transmission grid on May 17, and the other 30 MW electricity produced from the second unit was linked to the grid on August 2,” Ghising added.
According to project chief Phadindra Raj Joshi, the project will generate electricity in full capacity for nine months and for the remaining three months, it will generate 45 MW of electricity.
The Upper Trishuli 3A project has become uncertain after China Gezhouba Group Company – the contractor – halted its works due to heavy damage to the access road and dam after the devastating earthquake 2015. But the contractor resumed the work after the Nepal Army repaired access road at a cost of Rs 690 million.
The electricity produced from the project's 3B hub is being transferred through 45 kilometers long transmission line to the substation located at Matatirtha, of which 132 KV from the powerhouse of Simle to 3B hub, 220 KV double circuit from 3B hub to Badbhanjyang and 220 KV 4 circuit transmission line from Badbhanjyang to Matatirtha have been constructed.

Land acquisition biggest hurdle
On the occasion, the premier said that the land acquisition process should not hinder the construction of any development projects. “The development projects like hydropower should not face any roadblocks during their construction,” he said, adding that every stakeholder concerned should facilitate in the smooth construction of the projects by settling the issues of land acquisition. “On the one hand, unwarranted compensation claims will raise the cost of the development projects, and on the other hand the projects will also encounter inordinate delays.”

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