ILAM, Jan 28: Three hydropower projects which are under construction in Mai Khola are expected to add 22.1-megawatt electricity to the national transmission grid within a year.
Mai Beni of Mai Khola in Ilam municipalities' 2 and 8 and Super Mai-A and Super Mai Cascade projects are under construction at the moment. The Mai Beni Hydropower Project will generate 9.5 megawatts of electricity. The project has completed 69% of the work. According to Rajendra Raj Bharati, the project manager of Mai Beni, construction of the headbox and installation of the pipes are in the final stages whereas the construction of the tunnel is on schedule.
27 MWs of power to be added to national grid by January
The Super Mai Cascade Hydropower Project plans to complete all construction work by mid-May this year. According to Manoj Bhurtel, the project manager of Super Mai, the construction of the powerhouse of the 3-megawatt project is in its final stage. “Construction of the intake was completed in January and the construction of the powerhouse which was started in mid-November is in its final stage,” said Bhurtel, “More than 70% of the work is completed and all pending work will be completed in May 2020.”
According to Santosh Karki, the project manager of Super Mai-A Hydropower Project, the 9.6-megawatt project will begin generation of electricity within April. Sanima, Jyoti, NCC and Century bank have invested Rs 1.79 billion in the Super Mai-A Hydropower Project which is led by Sagarmatha Hydropower Company. “The work was started in mid-February last year and 80% of the work is completed,” he said, “We now have to carry out construction work on three kilometers of the 14 kilometers of transmission line which will be added to the Godak Sub-station.”
Sanima Mai (29 megawatts), Panchakanya (18 megawatts), Super Mai (7.8 megawatts) and Himal Dolakha Hydropower Project (7.5 megawatts) are already in operation in Mai Khola.
