MYAGDI, Aug 24: The construction of the much-awaited 40-MW Rahughat Hydropower Project in Myagdi has been completed, paving the way for test power generation.
The physical construction and equipment installation works of the project, owned by Raghuganga Hydropower Limited, a subsidiary of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), have been completed.
Ganesh KC, managing director of Raghuganga Hydropower, said the project is now preparing to begin power generation. “The testing of the dam, desander, tunnel and switchyard has been successful,” he said.
Construction of Rahughat Hydropower Project achieves 80 percent...
Testing of another 20-MW generating unit began on Sunday. KC said trial power generation is expected to take place within a week to 10 days, with work being expedited to bring the project into operation.
The dam at the foot of Raghuganga Rural Municipality-4 in Dagnam and Ward No. 5 in Jhin, the 6.27-km-long main tunnel, and two water-retention ponds have been tested. Testing of the installed equipment began after construction of the powerhouse at Tilkenichaur was completed.
The switchyard constructed on the project premises to connect the electricity generated by the project to the national transmission grid has been operational since June 8 this year.
Indian civil contractor Jaiprakash Associates (JP) had signed a contract worth Rs 6 billion for the project. An initial agreement was signed on November 17, 2017, with a 45-month completion deadline. However, the project timeline was extended for the first time in February 2022 and again in June 2024.
As construction could not be completed within the revised deadlines, the deadline was extended for a third time in July 2025, with completion targeted for November 27, 2025. The deadline was later extended for a fourth time, with the project now nearing completion.
Harish Agrawal, project manager at contractor company JP, said construction was delayed by various factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, floods, landslides and shortages of river-based construction materials.
Raghuganga Hydropower Limited (RGHPL) was established in March 2017 with the objective of developing the 40-MW project in Myagdi district of Gandaki Province. With construction now completed, the company is preparing to fulfill its goal of generating electricity from the project.
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