NHPC Limited has signed an MoU with Vidhyut Utpadan Company Limited, Nepal to develop the Phukot Karnali 480 MW Hydro Electric Project in Nepal. With an expected installed capacity of 480 MW and an average annual generation of about 2448 GWh, the signing marks a major step towards India-Nepal joint vision on power sector co-operation.

Jun 1, 2023

NHPC Limited and Vidhyut Utpadan Company Limited, Nepal signed an MoU in New Delhi for the development of Phukot Karnali 480 MW Hydro Electric Project in Nepal. The MoU was exchanged by Sh. R.K. Vishnoi, Chairman & Managing Director, NHPC and Shri Surya Prasad Rijal, Managing Director, VUCL, and signed in the presence of Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Nepal Shri Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ at Hyderabad House, New Delhi.

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This MoU is a landmark step towards India-Nepal joint vision on power sector co-operation. The project will use the flow from the Karnali River for power generation and the generated power will be fed into the integrated power system of Nepal. The installed capacity of the project shall be 480 MW with average annual generation of about 2448 GWh. The key features of the project are a 109 metre high RCC dam and an underground power house where the 06 turbines of 79 MW each shall be housed. Additionally, to utilize minimum environmental release one Surface Power House of 6 MW capacity i.e. two machines of 3 MW each is also planned. This project is conceived as a Peaking Run-of-River (PRoR) type scheme.