State-owned hydro power giant NHPC on Thursday inked an initial pact with Nepalese utility Vidhyut Utpadan Company for the development of the Phukot Karnali Hydro Electric Project (480MW) in Nepal.

“On 1st June 2023, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been exchanged between NHPC Ltd and Vidhyut Utpadan Company Ltd (VUCL), Nepal, in august presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ at Hyderabad House, New Delhi, for development of Phukot Karnali Hydro Electric Project (480MW) in Nepal,” a company statement said.

The MoU was exchanged by RK Vishnoi, Chairman & Managing Director, NHPC, and VUCL Managing Director Surya Prasad Rijal. The signing of this MOU is a landmark step towards India-Nepal Joint Vision on Power Sector Cooperation.

The Phukot Karnali Hydro Electric Project will harness the flow of the Karnali River for power generation, with the electricity being integrated into Nepal’s power system. The project’s installed capacity will be 480 MW, with an average annual generation of approximately 2448 GWh. Key features of the project include a 109-meter high RCC dam and an underground power house housing six turbines of 79 MW each.

Additionally, a surface power house with a capacity of 6 MW, consisting of two machines of 3 MW each, is also planned to minimize environmental impact. The project follows a Peaking Run-of-River (PRoR) type scheme.

NHPC, a Schedule ‘A’ Enterprise of the government with ‘Miniratna’ status, is ranked as a premier organisation in India for the development of hydropower, and Vidhyut Utpadan Company, Nepal, is responsible to develop, build, own and operate large-scale hydropower projects in a public-private partnership model in Nepal.

(Source ANI)