INTRODUCTION

The construction of the tunnel for the 216 MW Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project has reached its final stage. The project team reported that excavation work on the 10-kilometer-long main tunnel is now close to completion.

According to the developer, Nepal Water and Energy Development Company (NWEDC), the tunnel breakthrough is scheduled for Saturday, October 25.

The project has achieved around 70 percent physical progress so far. However, it will still take about one more year before the plant can begin commercial power generation. The project is targeted for completion by December 2026 (Poush 2083).

Installation of equipment at both the powerhouse and the dam site is set to begin soon. While installation of the dam gates is underway, concrete lining work inside the tunnel remains one of the major components still pending.

The total project cost is estimated at USD 647.3 million, which is approximately NPR 65 billion. Of this amount, USD 453.2 million, equivalent to about NPR 52 billion, has been financed through loans from foreign banks.