In a momentous stride towards bolstering Nepal’s renewable energy landscape, five pioneering hydropower ventures have formally inked a consequential grid connection agreement with Rastriya Prasaran Grid Company Limited (RPGCL), the nation’s paramount grid corporation. The ceremonial pact, ratified in the distinguished presence of Shakti Bahadur Basnet, Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, and Dinesh Ghimire, Secretary of the Ministry and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Grid Company, heralds an epochal alignment between the grid infrastructure and five dynamic promoter enterprises, collectively boasting a generating capacity of 121 MW.
Underscored by the momentous occasion, Dr. Netra Gyawali, Chief Executive Officer of the grid enterprise, and the representative delegate of the hydropower consortium, signed a pivotal memorandum of understanding, signifying a resonant commitment to innovation and sustainable progress. This accord was collectively endorsed by industry luminaries including Suman Thapa, Executive Director of Sunstar Energy Pvt Ltd, Krishna Prasad Acharya, Chairman of Water Energy Development Pvt Ltd, Pratap Gurung, Chairman of Yaro Hydropower Pvt Ltd, Krishna Prasad Ghimire, Chairman of Budhigandaki Hydropower Company, and Bir Bahadur Ghale, representing Upper Sange Hydropower Limited.
The catalytic energy endeavors encompass a gamut of projects, including Sunstar Energy’s ambitious 46 MW Super Seti, Water Energy’s dynamic 16 MW Machachhola, Yarrow Hydropower’s robust 30.5 MW Yarrow Khola, Budhigandaki’s innovative 4.6 MW Super Machachhola, and Upper Sange’s formidable 24.5 MW Dobhan Khola.
Elucidating the visionary stance, Gyawali elucidated that the concept of a shared corridor has been adroitly integrated to mitigate environmental ramifications and optimize cost sharing. In this transformative paradigm, the grid entity commits to provisioning transmission lines to hydropower visionaries, underpinned by equitable wheeling charges.
Rajkiran Vasukala, a vocal proponent of this synergistic stride, affirmed that the forthcoming West Seti 400 KV transmission line project, spanning 60 kilometers from Saipal to Jayaprithvi Napasmam, boasts an imposing capacity of 1700 megawatts. Notably, the grid connection arrangement has been impeccably synchronized with the 46 MW Super Seti undertaking. Vasukala further disclosed that the transmission line’s physical manifestation is anticipated within a year, while the associated substation infrastructure is slated for completion within eighteen months.
Further amplifying the initiative’s impact, Devesh Saiju, the esteemed head of the project consortium, divulged that a constellation of grid connection accords have been consummated, collectively encompassing 75 megawatts across the 32 km transmission line extending from Markichok to Kerabari in Gorkha.
Eminently addressing the assembly, Energy Minister Basnet astutely acknowledged the dual challenge of augmenting transmission infrastructure in tandem with energy production, illuminating the symbiotic role this development would play in facilitating equitable distribution and fostering a conducive business climate. Energy Secretary Ghimire concurred, affirming that the operation of the transmission artery will henceforth operate within a commercially oriented framework. Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha, Deputy Managing Director of Nepal Electricity Authority, affirmed that the impending Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) process will seamlessly synchronize with the grid connection, perpetuating the transformative journey towards a resilient energy future.
