The 13 MW Sikles Hydropower Project, located in Madi in Kaski district in western Nepal, has started trial production. As part of the test, water from the Madkyu River has been sent to the powerhouse through a 1.5-km tunnel and 800-metre pipe, said Kiran KC, director of the project. 

“Following the completion of the construction work, the project has been testing the equipment installed at the dam site and the powerhouse,” said KC. “We have planned to conduct a commercial test on November 12.” The project has aimed to start commercial production by November-end.  

The electricity produced by the plant will be transmitted to the substation of the 25 MW Upper Madi Hydropower Project 14 km away. A power line linking Upper Madi to the central grid at Lekhnath has been completed.

The project cost about Rs2.5 billion, said KC. It was launched in 2013 and slated to be completed in two years. However, the 2015 earthquake and Indian blockade held up construction work. 

According to KC, they also had to build a 44-km road from Pokhara to the tourist destination of Sikles village.