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The Joint Venture Company (JVC) formed by BPC and three Chinese Companies; Sichuan Provincial Investment Group Co. Ltd (SCIG), Chengdu Xingcheng Investment Group Co. Ltd. (CXIG), and Qing Yuan Engineering Consulting Co. Ltd. (QYEC), has acquired two more hydropower projects in the Marsyangdi Corridor to be developed in cascade with BPC’s Lower Manang Marsyangdi HEP. The JVC will develop three projects in Marsyangdi corridor viz. Manang Marsyangdi Hydro-electric Project (135 MW), Lower Manang Marsyangdi Hydroelectric Project (139.2 MW) and Upper Marsyangdi - 2 Hydroelectric Project (327 MW) as a cascade development model which sums up to the total capacity of 601 MW.

Manang Marsyangdi Hydro-electric Project (135 MW)

Manang Marsyangdi Hydroelectric Project (MMHEP) is located on the Marsyangdi River in Manang district of Gandaki Province of Nepal. The project area lies within the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP).

BPC holds 20% shares of Manang Marshyangdi Hydropower Company Ptd. Ltd, a SPV to develop and operate Manang Marsyangdi HEP. Department of Electricity Development (DoED) has issued the Generation License for 35 years period and PPA has been concluded with NEA at 135 MW. Contractor’s camp and access road improvements were proceeding, but progress was slowed due to delays in PDA and financial closure. As of now, the PDA has been signed, and financial closure is underway. The EPC contractor has been selected and mobilized at site to start pre-construction activities. The water from the tailrace of MMHEP will be utilized by Lower Manang Marsyangdi Hydro-electric Project (LMMHEP). The full-fledged construction works will start after financial closure with foreign banks. The financial closure is being delayed due to a lack of clarity on hedging mechanisms.

Fact Sheet

Project Location Headwork - Approximately 350 m Downstream of the Confluence Marsyangdi and Nar Khola
Powerhouse - About 1,250 m Upstream from the Confluence of Marsyangdi and Chino Khola
Project Type Peaking Run-of River
Installed Capacity 135 MW
Annual Energy Generation 766.593 GWh
Design Discharge 36.78 m3 /s (at 42.72% PoE)
Gross Head 430.20 m
Head Race Tunnel 6.075 km
Power Evacuation Inter-connection will be made to the Marsyangdi Corridor 220 kV
Transmission line underconstruction by NEA at Dharapani/Manang 220 kV Hub.
Access to site Powerhouse is about 65 km away from Besisahar and about 235 km away from Kathmandu. Headwork site is at about 13 km away from powerhouse.

Lower Manang Marsyangdi Hydroelectric Project (139.2 MW)

The Lower Manang Marsyangdi Hydroelectric Project (LMMHEP) is located in the high Himalayan zone of Gandaki zone of Gandaki Pradesh in Western Nepal. The Project area lies within Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP). LMMHPP will utilize the discharges from intermediate catchment as well as the MMHEP tailrace via a collection pond. The catchment area at headwork of the project is 1,693 km2, with elevations ranging from 2100 masl to 7800 masl. The powerhouse of the project will be at an elevation ranging from 1728 to 1740 masl. BPC obtained survey license of LMMHEP from Department of Electricity Development (DoED) in 2009 and carried out feasibility and EIA studies. The EIA of the project was approved by the GoN in 2070.

The connection agreement with NEA was signed in 2018 for 104 MW and amended in 2020 for 139.2 MW. Generation License for 140 MW RoR type was received on Kartik 18, 2075. However, in order to fit to Marsyangdi Cascade projects, this project has been re-designed to take tail water of PROR Manang Marsyangdi project so that this project is also a PROR project. The project has now been re-optimized at 139.2 MW for concluding the PPA with NEA. Accordingly, the Supplementary EIA (SEIA) has been conducted and approved. Industry registration for 139.2 MW has been completed and draft PPA has been approved by ERC. The SPV formation with the involvement of Chinese partners is underway.

Fact Sheet

Location

Headwork - Left Bank, approximately 1.6 km Upstream of Marsyangdi and Chino Khola confluence.
Powerhouse site - Right bank of Marsyangdi River, 1.5 km downstream of suspension bridge near Khotro village in Nasong Rural Municipality, Manang district.

Project Type

Peaking Run-of-River

Installed Capacity

139.2 MW

Annual Energy Generation

790 GWh

Design Discharge

39.38 m3 /s

Gross Head

418 m

Head Race Tunnel

6.2 km

Power Evacuation

Inter-connection will be made to the Marsyangdi Corridor 220 kV transmission line, under construction by NEA at Dharapani/Manang Hub.

Access to site

Powerhouse is about 39 km away from Besisahar and about 215 km away from Kathmandu. Headwork site is approximately 6 km away from powerhouse.

 

Upper Marsyangdi-2 Hydroelectric Project (327 MW)

The Upper Marsyangdi-2 Hydroelectric Project (UM2HEP) is a PRoR type project located along Marsyangdi river in Manang and Lamjung districts in Gandaki Province of Nepal.

Marsyangi Cadcade Projects

The catchments area at headworks of the project is 2,268 km2. The Dam site of UM2HEP is proposed around 2 km upstream of Tal village. The underground powerhouse of the project will be constructed on the right bank of the Marsyangdi river near Syange village in Lamjung district. The survey license was first issued to Himtal Hydropower Co. Pvt. Ltd, owned by GMR. According to the feasibility study, EIA of the project was approved by GoN in 2069 for 600 MW. The ownership of the project has been transferred from GMR (majority shareholder) to the JV of three Chinese companies and BPC.

Following BPC's acquisition of the project with Chinese Investors, the project report has been updated, and the project capacity has been re-optimized at 327 MW. Now, the Supplementary EIA with respect to the updated report has been completed and approved. Investment approval has been received from IBN. After the PPA Act, an MoU was signed with IBN, and survey license has been granted for DPR preparation. The DPR has been prepared and submitted to IBN for approval. Once the DPR is approved by IBN, negotiations on Project Development Agreement (PDA) will be started.

The project area is connected by Beshisahar- Chame road. The road distance between the headworks and the powerhouse is 13 km, while the powerhouse is around 24.5 km from Besisahar and approximately 200 km from Kathmandu.

Fact Sheet

Project Location

Headwork – Upstream of suspension bridge at Tal village, Nasong Rural Municipality, Manang District
Powerhouse site - 100 m u/s of suspension bridge at Syange village, Marsyangdi Rural Municipality Lamjung District

Project Type

Peaking Run-of River

Installed Capacity

327 MW

Annual Energy Generation

1,934 GWh

Design Discharge

59.6 m3 /s at 40% PoE

Gross Head

649.6 m

Head Race Tunnel

12 km

Power Evacuation

The nearest substation in the project area is the proposed 220 KV Khudi Hub at Khudi, which lies towards south-west at about 20 km from the UM2 powerhouse.

Access to site

Powerhouse is about 24.5 km away from Besisahar and about 200 km away from Kathmandu. Headwork site is at about 13 km away from the powerhouse.