Kaski : The construction of the 25-Megawatt Upper Dordi ‘A’ Hydroelectricity Project has completed. According to the Liberty Energy Hydropower, the testing of the power generation will commence today. The project is located in Dordi Rural Municipality-6 of Dhodeni. The project was completed a month ago.
Rajendra Wosti, the promoter of the project, said, “We have to complete the construction of the project as soon as possible. After the completion of the construction, we have started testing of the electricity from today.”
He says that it will take two days to install the machine for the test. “With the permission of the Nepal Electricity Authority and the presence of the staff from the authority, the test has started. We will test it for 15 days, if successful, we will start producing electricity professionally from November”, he said.
The installation of penstock pipe, water filling in the tunnel, and the head works were damaged by the flood last year.
He said, “Dordikhola water has been pumped to the power house from the dam site of the project, Lodo River, through a 2,700 meter long underground tunnel and a 2,700 meter long penstock pipe.” It is said that the cost of the project has increased due to landslide and delays. The initial investment was projected as Rs. 3.96 billion.
The goal of the project was to start the construction from 2071 BS and complete the construction in the year 2074 BS. But due to the unannounced blockade after the devastating earthquake and the flood in 2076BS, the construction could not be completed on time.
As the construction of the project could not be completed according to the contract, the deadline was extended several time. The Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) has been signed between the promoter company Liberty and the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). In the project, 25 Megawatts of electricity will be produced in two units of 12.5. There are five projects including this project in this Dordi corridor.
There are 54 MW Super Dordi ‘B’ under construction by People’s Hydro Power Company, 27 MW Dordikhola constructed by Himalayan Power Partner, 25 MW Upper Dordi ‘A’ constructed by Liberty Energy Limited. Similarly, the 12.1 MW Dordi-1 being constructed by the Dordikhola Hydropower Company, the Chyangdi Khola Hydropower Company’s 4 MW hydropower project. Out of these, electricity from the 27 MW Dordikhola, Chhayangdikhola Hydropower Company’s 4-MW hydropower projects has been connected to the national transmission line.
