TAPLEJUNG, May 20: The groundbreaking ceremony for the much-anticipated 128 MW Tamor-Mewa hydropower project is set for May 23, Thursday.

Bhanendra Kumar Limbu, chairman of Spark Hydroelectric Company Limited, the project's promoter, announced the event, marking the commencement of construction. “We have extended invitations for the occasion. It's time to get to work,” Limbu said.

Located across Aathrai Triveni and Fungling municipalities in Taplejung, the Tamor-Mewa project is designed as a run-of-river project and is estimated to cost Rs 24.032 billion. The project will sell electricity at a rate of Rs 4.80 per unit during the rainy season and Rs 8.40 per unit in the dry season, with an annual price escalation of three percent.

The project is expected to generate a total of 711.43 gigawatt hours of electricity, with 619.74 gigawatt hours during the rainy season (May to November) and 91.69 gigawatt hours in the dry season (January to March). The project aims to maintain 60 percent of its total output in the dry season and 90 percent in the rainy season.

Electricity will be generated using a 9-kilometer tunnel that channels water from the Mewa and Tamor rivers. Financing for the project includes 75 percent from bank loans and 25 percent from equity provided by the promoters.

 
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