Background

Although Nepal’s theoretical hydroelectric potential is huge, to date, Nepal has managed to harness only small fraction of such potentiality resulting scarcity of electricity in Nepal. Government's efforts are not only enough to fulfill the higher demand for electricity in the country. Realizing the fact, the government policy is now to maximize private sector involvement in the sector of water resource development for the construction of large, medium as well as small hydropower projects to continuously fulfill the electricity demand of the country and also to attract the foreign investment for the development of the water resource by developing the Hydropower projects. In this back drop, Nyadi Hydropower Limited was established to develop Nyadi Hydropower Project in the consortium of the Butwal Power Company (98.18%) and the Lamjung Electricity Development Company Limited (1.81%).

Nyadi Hydropower Project (NHP) is a run-of-river type project, located in Lamjung District of Western Development Region of Nepal. The NHP was first identified in 1993 during the preparation of the Small Hydropower Master Plan. COWEL International (P) Ltd., sponsored by German Development Agency (GTZ) had conducted the first pre-feasibility study.

Project Area

The entire Project area (i.e. intake to powerhouse) is located within the Bahundanda Ward No.6, Marsyangdi Rural Municipality in Lamjung District, Gandaki Zone. NHP is located on the right bank of Nyadi Khola which is one of the tributaries of the Marsyangdi River. Intake site of the Project is located approximately 2.50 km upstream of Naiche village of Bahundanda Ward No.6 and about 9 km upstream of the confluence of the Nyadi and the Marsyangdi Rivers. Similarly, the powerhouse is being constructed near Thulobeshi village of Bahundanda Ward No.6 which is about 3 km downstream from Naiche Village.

 

Technical Aspect of the Project

The project has an installed capacity of 30 MW and will generate 168.5 GWh of energy annually.

Technical features of the project
Type of the project	Run-of-the River
Project location	Bahundanda VDC, Lamjung District
Dam site	Naiche, Bahundanda Ward 6
Powerhouse site	Thulobesi, Bahundanda Ward No.6
Installed Capacity	30 MW
Average annual energy	168.5 GWh
Gross head	333.9 m
Design flow	11.02 m3/s
Catchment area at intake site	154.7 km2
Design Flood Discharge	509 m3/s (100 Yrs Flood)
Settling basin	62 m (L), 8 m (W), 18 m (H)
Length of Headrace tunnel	3.840 km
Turbine type	Vertical Axis Pelton
Turbine Installation	2 nos. with 15 MW capacity
Transmission Line	6 km long of 132 kV capacity
Construction period	4 years

Water from the Nyadi River will be diverted to the settling basin by constructing a 14 m long and 10 m high dam and then to the powerhouse through the 3840 m head race tunnel and 780 m long penstock.

The surface powerhouse contain two Pelton turbines. The tailrace water from the powerhouse will be released back to the Nyadi River through a tailrace canal.

The generated power will be transmitted through a 6 km long 132 kV capacity transmission line to the Khudi Hub to be constructed by the Nepal Electricity Authority at Khudi VDC of Lamjung district. From there the Nyadi Hydropower Project electricity will be linked to the national grid.

 

Accessibility

The nearest town from project site is Beshisahar, which is the head quarter of Lamjung district and is about 176 km west from Katmandu, capital of Nepal. The first 130 km section of the highway in between Katmandu to Dumre is a part of Prithivi Rajmarg and the rest 46 km from Dumre to Beshisahar is linked by Bhanubhakta Highway.  The project site is accessed by a seasonal road of about 20 km from Beshisahar to Thakanbesi. Nyadi Hydropower Limited has constructed remaining seasonable road upto proposed intake site which is at Naiche Village of Bahundanda Ward No.6, of Marsyangdi Rural Municipality. The road passes through powerhouse site at Thulobesi of Bahundanda.