KATHMANDU, AUG 14 –
Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has reduced the capacity of Tamor Hydropower Project to 200 MW from 530 MW. The state-owned power utility recently applied for the survey licence of the project.
The Ministry of Energy (MoE) had instructed the NEA to revise the project’s capacity after finding that other hydropower projects being developed in the region would be affected if Tamor developed at 530 MW.
Around half dozen hydropower projects, including 37.6 MW Kabeli A Hydropower Project, are being developed in the Koshi Basin.
Gokarna Pant, spokesperson for Department of Electricity Development (DoED), said NEA a week ago applied for the survey licence of Upper Tamor Hydropower Project for 200 MW capacity. “We are studying the documents submitted by the NEA,” he said. “If the proposal meets the criteria, the department will issue the survey licence.”
Being a government-owned entity, NEA cannot not disturb other power projects being developed by the private sector, NEA officials said, adding as per the preliminary study, the dam to be constructed for Tamor project would impact the Kabeli A hydel project.
“In a bid to protect the projects being developed in Koshi basin, NEA has decided to decrease the Tamor’s capacity,” Rameshwor Yadav, managing director of NEA, said.
The storage project located in Terhathum and Panchthar districts was identified during the Koshi basin study conducted in 1985.
Anup Kumar Upadhya, joint secretary at the Ministry of Energy (MoE) said the project’s capacity has been fixed at 200 MW in Koshi Basin Master Plan. “As per the master plan, the project capacity should be kept at 200 MW,” he said.
Yadav said the NEA is conducting a study to find out the impact of Tamor project if the capacity of 530 MW is kept intact. “Though we have applied for survey licence proposing to develop the project at 200 MW, the capacity can be increased later,” he said.
“If the study says the project would impact only Kabeli A project, the NEA might compensate it by offering the equivalent share in Tamor project and design it at 530 MW to optimize the utilization of hydropower resources.”
Source : The Kathmandu Post
