Industry

A 171-MW Dudhkosi-6 Hydropower Project will be built in Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality-3 of Solukhumbu district.  

The run-of-river type project, estimated to cost Rs30.8 billion, will be developed by a private firm Sagarmatha Hydropower Pvt Ltd.

Several hydropower projects have been under construction in recent years, Solukhhumbu is gradually emerging as a hydropower project 'hub'. Some have even started generating electricity and connected to the central grid.  

The project will have a design discharge of 52.6 cubic metres per second, with the total annual electricity production estimated at 984GWh (gigawatt hours). It is estimated to produce 688 GWh in the rainy season and 295 GWh in winter.

The access road to the project site will be built along the Dudhkosi River. Main structures for the project such 'diversion weir', 'under sluice', 'gravel trap', 'settling', 'basin', 'headrace pipe', 'headrace tunnel', 'surge tank' and 'audit tunnel'. The 367-metre-long 'net head' will be built in Pasang Lhamu Village-3 of Solukhumbu. 

The powerhouse of the project will be underground. The project's electricity, generated from three 'Francis turbines', will be connected to the new Khimti substation of the Nepal Electricity Authority through the 63-km long 220kV transmission line.  

Having prepared the final environmental impact assessment report, the project has allocated a budget of over Rs 137.5 million to mitigate ecological impact.

The Ministry of Forestry and Environment has released the project report and asked the relevant agencies and residents of the affected areas to give their opinions. The project needs to acquire 8.3 hectares of land in wards 2 and 3 of the district's Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality. It will provide direct employment for 550 during the project's construction period. 

With RSS inputs