NEA bags license to construct 490.2 MW Arun-4 Hydropower Project

KATHMANDU: The government has given go ahead to Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) to construct 490.2 MW Arun-4 Hydropower Project.

The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation on Monday decided to award the license of the semi-reservoir based hydroelectricity project to the state-owned power utility. The Department of Electricity Development (DoED) has already carried out the detailed study and design of the hydropower project that is to be built at Bhotekhola Rural Municipality and Makalu Rural Municipality of Sankhuwasabha district.

The proposed Arun-4 will be situated at the lower topographical region of Upper Arun Hydropower Project, for which NEA was given permission for construction last September. NEA’s Managing Director Kulman Ghising said they will immediately start construction of both the projects.

The DoED has estimated the cost of Arun-4 Hydropower Project at around Rs 65 billion. The project will be generating 2.09 billion units of electricity annually.

NEA has been giving priority to the construction of the large reservoir and semi-reservoir hydropower projects in order to balance the country's demand and supply of electricity. Apart from Upper Arun and Arun-4, it is planning to forward the construction of the 835- MW Dudhkoshi reservoir and 210-MW Chainpur Seti semi-reservoir hydropower projects.