The 40 MW Rahughat Hydroelectric Project in Myagdi District has achieved 72 percent physical progress.
Developed by Raghuganga Hydropower Limited, a subsidiary of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), the project is being funded by a $67 million concessional loan from the Indian Export-Import (EXIM) Bank, supplemented by joint investments from the NEA and the Government of Nepal.
Jayprakash Associates, the civil contractor, has intensified construction efforts on key components such as the dam, tunnel, and powerhouse, according to the state-owned news agency RSS.
Rabin Kattel, head of the Civil Branch for the project, stated that construction of physical structures and equipment installation is progressing rapidly, with completion targeted for June 2025.
“The construction of the barrage, the 6,270-metre main tunnel, surge shaft, vertical and third pressure shaft, and tailrace has been completed,” Kattel said. “Work on the switchyard and the installation of equipment in the powerhouse has commenced, while the desander (water settling pond), power intake, finalization of the main tunnel, and installation of the penstock pipeline are progressing swiftly.”
As of Friday, December 27, nearly 2,250 metres of the main tunnel have been lined (sloped and plastered), Kattel added. The 17-metre-high, 31-metre-long dam utilizes Peaking Run-of-River (PRoR) technology to optimize power generation during peak demand periods.
To date, approximately 30 percent of the electromechanical work has been completed.
The project faced initial delays due to the Covid pandemic, floods and landslides. As a result, the completion deadline was extended by 30 months beyond the original 45-month timeline.
The civil contract was signed in late 2017 after the termination of an earlier contract with IVRCL due to financial constraints nearly a decade ago. Originally slated for completion about 11 years ago, the project was restructured under an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) model.
Initially designed as a 32 MW project, its capacity was later upgraded to 40 MW to meet growing energy demands.
An 11-kilometer access road and a motorable truss bridge have been constructed to directly connect the powerhouse and dam to the road network from Ghumaunetal on the Beni-Jomsom-Korala road.
Once completed, the Rahughat Hydroelectric Project will integrate its electricity output into Nepal's national grid through the 220 kV (double circuit) Dana-Kushma transmission line, a key component of the Kali Gandaki Corridor. The loop-in loop-out (LILO) method will be used for efficient energy transmission.
RSS
