The 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project (UTHP), which halted production following severe damage from the September floods and landslides, is set to begin partial production by the end of December.
The project has established a timeline for completing the necessary repairs to resume electricity generation by December 25. A team led by Kulman Ghising, the managing director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), visited the site to expedite the maintenance work, aiming to alleviate the severe supply shortage expected during this winter season.
“If the repairs aren’t completed soon, the NEA will struggle to maintain supply, potentially leading to significant issues in meeting the country’s demand,” Ghising said during his visit on Wednesday.
As a temporary solution, the project plans to operate the powerhouse during peak demand hours starting mid-January. During off-peak hours, the UTHP will store water to operate the powerhouse for up to four hours daily when demand is highest.
The UTHP has been offline since the floods and landslides of September 27 and 28, which damaged the headworks and powerhouse. Additionally, a structure at the dam site in Lamabagar-1, Bigu Municipality, Dolakha, was buried in the landslides.
The damage caused by the natural disasters is estimated at Rs 2 billion. The project reports a loss of Rs 40 million in daily revenue due to the production halt.
Full operation of the UTHP is expected to take about six months. With India previously reluctant to export electricity to Nepal during the peak winter months, NEA has warned of potential power outages this dry season.
Last week, India agreed to increase its electricity supply to Nepal, allowing imports of up to 654 MW to help address winter shortages. Under this new arrangement, Nepal can import power for 20 hours daily, excluding peak hours (5-9 PM).
“Given that India has reservations about supplying electricity to Nepal until April 2025, and our internal production will also be significantly reduced, failing to restore this project could lead to serious challenges in managing our energy supply,” Ghising added.
