KATHMANDU, March 30
The water of Rolwaling river will be diverted into the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project.
The project plans to generate another 176 million units of electricity in the dry season by pouring the water of Rolwaling through a six-kilometer tunnel. Annual generation from the project will then rise to 2.456 billion units. The Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Limited (UTKHPL) has initiated the process of appointing consultant for preparation of detailed engineering framework for construction of Rolwaling river diversion project. UTKHPL has invited expression of interest from international consultants giving a deadline of 30 days. The selected consultant will have to prepare bid documents after preparing detailed engineering framework for the project. The water from Rolwaling will be poured into Tamakoshi only during the dry season.
Chief of UTKHPL Bigyan Shrestha stated that comprehensive study of Rolwaling diversion will be started within a year and added that time and cost will be determined after the study. Preliminary study has put the cost of diversion project at US$ 26 million. The installed capacity of Tamakoshi will remain 456 MW in the rainy season even after pouring Rolwaling water and additional electricity will be generated only during the dry season. “Water from Rolwaling will be poured only during the dry season. It will not require additional structures and the current structures being constructed will suffice,” he claimed.
Upper Tamakoshi is scheduled to start generation from June, 2016. Rolwaling diversion project is planned to be completed one and half to two years later. Though Upper Tamakoshi will operate at full capacity in the three months of rainy season, generation will fall to just 90 MW during the dry season. The project will generate 120 MW during the dry season after pouring Rolwaling water. UTKHPL will select consultant through the Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) system. UTKHPL stated that it will procure consultancy service through its own resources.
Norconsult AS-Lahmeyer JV has been working as consultant for the project while Sino Hydro of China is doing civil construction. Texmaco Limited, India is doing hydromechanical works, Andritz Hydro, Austria electromechanical and KEC International of India is constructing transmission line.
Source : Baburam Khadka / Karobar Daily
