Electricity from Mistrikhola production from this week

Mistrikhola Hydro, #The Bagmati Post

The 42 MW Mistrikhola Hydropower Project constructed in Annapurna Gaupalika-4 Narchang is scheduled to start generating electricity from this week.

Mistrikhola, the promoter of Mountain Energy Nepal Limited, has prepared the product after testing the constructed structures and connected equipment. Engineer Diwakar Khadka, consultant of the project, informed that the power generation has been prepared after testing the tunnel, penstock pipeline and power house.

"The transmission line from Dana substation to Switchard is being tested at backload," he said. "We are preparing to shut off the water in the dam and put water in the tunnel and turn the turbine." The generator, turbine and transformer connected to the power house have also been tested.

Engineer Khadka said that Mistrikhola will start production within a week to 10 days. The project, which started on June 13, 2016, has built a 23-meter high dam at the confluence of Nilgiri and Ghalemdikhola rivers. One thousand five hundred meters of penstock pipes have been connected to generate electricity by pouring water brought from two thousand 270.5 meters tunnel from a height of 250 meters and One thousand five hundred (1500) meters of penstock pipe has been connected.

A switchyard has been constructed near the power house on the left bank of the Kaligandaki River in Bensigaun. Two underground sand dunes (canals) of 115 meters length, 8.5 meters width and 13 meters depth have been constructed in the dam area.

A four kilometer transmission line of 132 KV capacity has been constructed from Bensigaun to the 220 KV capacity substation at Dana. Of the 11, one tower collapsed and another was at risk of erosion due to floods last monsoon. The endangered tower has been relocated and collapsed. Apart from the promoter, Nepal Investment Bank has invested Rs. 700 million, Hydropower Development Company Rs. 1 billion and Nepal Bank Rs. 500 million in the project which is estimated to cost Rs. 5.64 billion.

Similarly, Navil Bank has invested Rs 1 billion, Laxmi Bank Rs 400 million, Siddhartha Bank Rs 300 million and S Development Bank Rs 300 million in the project. Seven lakh three thousand 512 shares have been distributed to the residents of Narchang and one lakh shares have been distributed to the residents of other seven wards of Annapurna village in the affected area. Ordinary shares have also been distributed.

The Department of Power Development had given generation license in 2064 BS. Construction of the project was started after nine years when the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) delayed the construction of 220 KV Kaligandaki corridor transmission line and Dana substation.

Mistrikhola is the largest project ever constructed and under construction in Myagdi. A two megawatt hot water small hydropower project is in operation in Narchang. The five-megawatt Ghalemdikhola has started production in January, 2010. A 39-kilometer 220 KV transmission line connecting Annapurna-3 Dana to Khurkot has been completed.

Chief of the project Chandan Kumar Ghosh said that testing of the transmission line has been started to connect it to the power substation of Mistrikhola.