86 MW Solukhola Dudhkoshi Hydropower Project comes online

Kathmandu: The Solukhola Dudhkoshi Hydropower Project has started supplying its 86 MW of electricity to the national grid since Saturday. 

According the project, electricity has been generated by channelizing water from the Solu rivulet of Solududhkunda Municipality-11 to Maikubesi of Thulung Dudhkoshi Rural Municipality-3. The run-of-river type hydropower project has been connected to the 132-KVA Solu corridor of Lammane sub-station. 

Him Pathak, chairperson of Sahas Power Company – the promoter of the project, shared that the electricity generated by the private company has been connected to the national transmission line of the Nepal Electricity Authority after successful test operation. He further said that commercial production of electricity would be initiated within 15 days.

The headwork of the hydropower project is located near Bhadaure Village in Solududhkunda Municipality. The tunnel passes underneath Kattike, Gairi, Pokhari Bhanjyang, Phalate and Pairatham of Thulung Dudh Koshi Gaupalika. The powerhouse site is located at Maikubesi of Thulung Dudh Koshi Rural Municipality at about 1km upstream from the suspension bridge over Dudh Koshi River at Jaleshwor Mahadev.

The Department of Electricity Development (DoED) had awarded the survey license to the company on November 10, 2008 to conduct the necessary investigations, feasibility study and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the project. Upon completion of feasibility study and EIA of the project in October 2013, the company applied for the generation license at the DoED. Accordingly, the department awarded the production license on September 18, 2014.