Hetauda, March : All three stations of the Makawanpur-based Kulekhani Hydropower Project have come into cooperation at their full capacity. As the Project said, they were operated at full capacity with the commencement of the dry season.
The Khulekhani I Station now generates 60 megawatts of electricity followed by 32 and 14 by the second and third respectively, the Kulekhani I Station Chief Taradatta Bhatta said.
According to Tara Datt Bhatt, chief of Kulekhani I, the plant has been running at full capacity for 14 to 18 hours daily since March 16, with production adjusted based on demand. Kulekhani I generates 60 MW, Kulekhani II produces 32 MW, and Kulekhani III supplies 14 MW of electricity.
Assistant Engineer Ram Kumar Budhathoki said the Kulekhani units are utilized during the dry season when run-of-river hydropower projects experience reduced output. “During the monsoon, run-of-river projects operate at full capacity, allowing us to store water in the dam. In the dry season, when their output declines, Kulekhani is activated,” he said.
Currently, power generation occurs for 14 to 16 hours daily, but the project is capable of producing power 24 hours a day, depending on demand.
During the first eight months of the current fiscal year (July 16, 2024 – March 13, 2025), Kulekhani I has generated 81,209 megawatt-hours of electricity, compared to just 34,388 megawatt-hours during the same period last year.
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