July 4: The Upper Tama Koshi Hydropower Project is all set to produce an additional 22.5 megawatts of electricity from a diversion in Rolwaling. The diversion was created so that the project would be able to produce 456 MW of electricity even during dry season. Initially, the diversion was supposed to add water to the project’s reservoir but later a study revealed that the same diversion could be used to produce additional electricity with little investment, according to the project’s spokesperson Dr Ganesh Neupane.

“We applied for license to produce additional electricity after the feasibility study shed light on the possibility with low investment,” said Neupane.

There are plans afoot to build a six-kilometer tunnel to release water to the Upper Tamakoshi reservoir from Rolwaling and in the due process electricity generation design is being made, informed Neupane.

The study has shown that even during extremely dry season, a minimum of 167 gigawatts of electricity can be generated from the Rolwaling diversion.

According to Neupane, works have already started for the transportation of materials, required for the diversion, from Lamabagar to Riku of Gaurishankar VDC after a tender bid. He further said that electricity will be generated from the diversion after the works of the Upper Tamakoshi project reaches the final phase.