Nepal’s hydropower project, aided by China, operational

An aerial photo of the dam of the upper Tamakoshi hydroelectric project in Nepal Photo: Courtesy of PowerChina

The Upper Tamakoshi hydropower project, a 456-megawatt project dubbed as the Three Gorges Dam project of Nepal, was completed and went into full operation recently, according to the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC).

The Upper Tamakoshi hydroelectric project has six water turbines generating electricity from water running down an 8-kilometer penstock over a drop of 822 meters.

An aerial photo of the upper Tamakoshi hydroelectric project in Nepal Photo: Courtesy of PowerChina

The first generator was connected to the Nepalese grid on July 5, 2021. It was mainly built by a subsidiary of Chinese infrastructure major PowerChina Group.

The hydroelectric power plant of the upper Tamakoshi hydroelectric project in Nepal Photo: Courtesy of PowerChina

The completion of the hydropower plant is expected to effectively tackle power shortages in Nepal and improve Nepal’s energy mix, and promote its industrialization and agricultural modernization, according to a statement from the SASAC.

China and Nepal are jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative and boosting connectivity in the region.

All-round cooperation between China and Nepal based on the Belt and Road Initiative Graphic: GT

The Haidong-Shigatse-Nepal highway-rail combined transport service was launched in December 2021, covering a total distance of about 2,800 kilometers. 

In 2021, bilateral trade between China and Nepal reached $1.98 billion, a year-on-year increase of 67 percent, according to media reports. 

However, non-financial direct investment into Nepal by Chinese companies was down 50.5 percent year-on-year to $52.01 million.

Global Times