NHPC enters agreement with Nepalese utility to develop 480 MW hydro project

NHPC announced that it has entered into an initial pact with Vidhyut Utpadan Company, a Nepalese Utility, for the development of a 480 MW Phukot Karnali hydroelectric project.

The company said in its filing with the bourses that it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vidhyut Utpadan Company, Nepal, on June 1, 2023. The MoU was exchanged in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal at Hyderabad House, New Delhi. The MoU indicates the development of a 480 MW Phukot Karnali Hydro Electric Project in Nepal.

The Prime Minister of Nepal is on a four-day visit to India, which started on Wednesday.

The signing of this MOU is an important milestone in the India-Nepal Joint Vision for Power Sector Cooperation.

The flow from the Karnali River will be used to generate electricity, which will be fed into Nepal’s integrated power system. The project’s installed capacity will be 480 MW, and will have an annual generation of approximately 2,448 GWh.

The project’s main features are a 109-metre-high RCC dam and an underground powerhouse, which will house six 79-MW turbines. In addition, to minimize environmental impact, a Surface Power House with a capacity of 6 MW (two machines of 3 MW each) is planned.

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