Snow melting raises Mid-Marsyangdi production

KATHMANDU, April 13: The 70 MW Middle Marsyangdi Hydro Project (Mid-Marsyangdi) has been generating electricity in its full capacity for two to three hours in the evening daily for the past week, thanks to the melting of snow masses in the high Himalayas.[break]



One of the two turbines is producing around 20 to 35 MW of electricity round the clock. The Mid-Marsyangdi has two turbines each with a generation capacity of 35 MW.



“We have been operating both the turbines in the evening hours for the last 10 days as water level in the snow-fed Marsyangdi River increased in the recent days largely due to the melting of snow masses in the high Himalayas,” Sunil Dhungel, Mid-Marsyangdi project director, told myrepublica.com.



However, the increment in water level is not significant, he said.



Dhungel said that they were generating electricity at the project as per the demand from the Load Dispatch Center of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). The NEA has been enforcing load-shedding of up to 14 hours a day since January 23.



Officials at the NEA say melting of snow will significantly increase by the last week of this month.

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