Kaligandaki A to close; No change in load shedding hours

(Updated)

POKHARA, March 1: The Kaligandaki ‘A’ Hydropower Project in Syangja district will be shut down from Friday night for maintenance works.



According to the project officials, repair works have become necessary as all three inlet valves carrying the water from tunnel to the turbine have eroded, resulting in a leakage of water.[break]



The valves have not been repaired for the past eight years. The inlet valves of all the three electricity generating turbines will undergo maintenance.



“We are going to carry out the maintenance works from 10 pm today by shutting down the project,” Awadesh Kumar Jha, chief the project, informed, adding, “Technicians will carry out the works 24 hours in different shifts”.



Jha further informed that it will take around 10 days to complete the maintenance works. With the complete shutdown of the project, more than two hours of load-shedding daily is expected to come into force in the coming days.



The installed capacity of the run-of-the-river project is 144 megawatts but it is currently generating only 60 megawatts of electricity.



No increase in load shedding hours: NEA

Meanwhile the Nepal Electricity Authority said the temporary shutdown of the project will not affect the load shedding schedule, which is currently in effect.



“Even though the general of electricity at the project will be halted, that will not make any difference current load shedding hours, “ Sher Singh Bhat, NEA spokesperson, said.

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There will be no load-shedding now: NEA