Investment pledges in hydro projects drop

KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 23

Investment commitment in hydropower projects have declined this fiscal year compared to that of last fiscal year.

According to the Department of Industry, a total of 13 hydropower projects have been registered in the first five months of the current fiscal year. Meanwhile, during the same period of previous fiscal, a total of 22 projects had been registered.

According to the department, the 13 registered hydropower projects will have total installed capacity of 300 MW and investment worth Rs 53.63 billion.

The department has stated that the inquiries for the project registration are quite high, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the registration has been affected.

Among the total registered projects, 10 projects will generate more than 10 MW electricity in five months of the year. Of them, the biggest one — worth Rs 13.57 billion — will be constructed at Makalu Rural Municipality of Sankhuwasabha district.

Similarly, a Rs 10.31 billion hydropower project will be built in Myagdi district, while a project worth Rs 5.76 billion will be constructed in Makwanpur. Likewise, a project worth Rs 4.69 billion in Sotang Rural Municipality and a project worth Rs 4.7 billion in Mahakulung Rural Municipality will be constructed in the Solukhumbu district.

As per the department, a project worth Rs 5.56 billion will be built in Kaski district, 10while a project worth Rs 3.83 billion will be constructed in Myagdi district. In Lamjung district, a project worth Rs 2.52 billion has been registered for construction, while in Dolakha district a project worth Rs 1.66 billion has been registered.

A project in Kapilvastu will have the lowest investment out of the 10 projects — Rs 945 million.

Amid this, three hydropower projects have been registered that will generate less than 10 MW electricity per year. Among them, a project worth Rs 117.5 million and another project worth Rs 284.6 million have been registered in two municipalities of Dolakha district.

Similarly, a project worth Rs 721.6 million has been registered in Sankhuwasabha.

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