Two Chinese companies shortlisted for the first phase work of 100 MW Tamakoshi-5 Hydropower Project

Kathmandu / Jan 28: Two Chinese companies have been shortlisted for construction of the 100 MW Tamakoshi-5 Hydropower Project.

On July 25, 2022, Tamakoshi Hydropower Company called for bidding of civil and hydro mechanical work of the Tamakoshi-5. Project Chief Binod Bhandari said Sino Hydro Corporation Limited and China Gezhouba Group Corporation were among the Chinese companies that they selected under the technical proposal.

Sino Hydro Corporation Limited is the one that constructed the civil works of the 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project. The Chinese state-owned hydropower engineering and construction company has also been awarded to construct a power house of 140 MW Tanahu Storage Project.

Similarly, China Gezhouba Group Corporation is the company which constructed the civil structure of the 60 MW Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project. The company had also been given the contract to develop Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project. However, the government scrapped the contract later on.

According to Bhandari, they will now carry out financial proposals of these companies. The project aims to start construction from the next fiscal year. The contracted company will be mandated to complete construction in the next four years.

The Tamakoshi-5 is the cascade project of the Upper Takoshi Hydropower Project. It is being constructed in the Engineering Procurement Construction model, in which the developer company will be liable to take care of detailed design, procurement, construction and operation.

The semi-storage project will be constructed in two phases. Under the first phase work, the tender is in assessment. In the second stage, the project will call for bidding of electromechanical work, including construction of transmission lines. The project will have to construct an 8 km tunnel, power house, about 2 km 220 kV transmission line and other main structures.

The project is expected to materialize an investment of Rs 18 billion, in which Employees Provident Fund has agreed to invest 70 percent (about Rs 13 billion) as loan. The remaining amount of the project being constructed under the People’s Hydropower Program will be raised from equity by issuing shares to the general public.