Nepal picks NHPC to develop 2 major hydropower projects

The Sher Bahadur Deuba government in Nepal has approved a proposal for India's National Hydropower Corp (NHPC) to study and develop two hydroelectric projects that will have the combined potential to generate 1,200 megawatts of energy. A meeting of the Investment Board, Nepal chaired by Prime Minister Deuba this week decided to allow the NHPC to study and develop the 750 MW West Seti Storage Hydropower Project and 450 MW Seti River-6 Hydropower Project in Sudurpaschim province. The West Seti project is a long-awaited project envisioned about four decades ago. Both the projects are located in the far west of Nepal, and both are storage type projects. The board approved the draft of the memorandum of understanding to be signed with the Indian company, according to a statement by the Investment Board. NHPC Ltd, under the Indian Ministry of Power, had submitted a proposal in May to develop the projects. The West Seti project, first envisioned some six decades ago, is located on the Seti River. The proposed dam site is located 82 km upstream of the confluence of the Seti and Karnali rivers, forming part of the Ganges basin. The new project sites are located at elevations ranging from 550 to 920 metres and are spread across six districts. The estimated cost of the project, according to the Investment Board, is $2.4 billion. See also: Greenko to build India’s first off-river energy storage projectTata Power Green commissions 225 MW hybrid power project for Mumbai