The Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project achieved a major milestone on Monday as it completed the digging of a 4.18km tunnel that channels water diverted from the river to the power house. With the completion of the tunnel, the most challenging component of the project has been completed, according to Madhav Koirala, CEO of the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Company, which is developing the 111MW project.

China International Water and Electric Corporation, the Chinese contractor hired for the civil work of the project, has quickened the pace of the construction work to meet the project completion deadline of February 2020. Chabi Gaire, the project chief of the Rasuwagadhi project, informed that around 67 percent of the total work is completed. “The construction of three underground desanding ponds, underground powerhouse and tailrace tunnel is going on smoothly,” said Gaire.

The Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project is located 150 km north of Kathmandu, and is the largest among the four hydropower projects that are currently being developed by subsidiary companies of Chilime Hydropower Company. The Rasuwagadhi project is being developed at an estimated cost of Rs13.68 billion under a debt equity ratio of 50 percent. As a promoter, Chilime holds a majority stake. It owns 33 percent of the shares while Nepal Electricity Authority holds 18 percent shares.

The hydro-power station is a run-of-river project, having the capacity to generate 613.87 gigawatt hours of hydroelectricity annually. The headwork of the project is located about 400 metres downstream from the confluence of the Kyirong Khola and Lende Khola, which marks the boundary between Nepal and China.