NHPC and VUCL, Nepal sign MoU for the development of Phukot Karnali Hydro Electric Project (480MW) in Nepal

New Delhi: NHPC Limited (A Govt. of India Enterprise) and Vidhyut Utpadan Company Limited (VUCL), Nepal signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) in New Delhi today for development of Phukot Karnali Hydro Electric Project (480MW) in Nepal. The MoU was 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 in New Delhi.

Shri R.K. Vishnoi, CMD, NHPC and Shri Surya Prasad Rijal, MD, VUCL, Nepal exchanging MOU documents for development of Phukot Karnali Hydro Electric Project (480MW) in Nepal in presence of Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Nepal Shri Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ at Hyderabad House, New Delhi.

NHPC Limited, a Schedule ‘A’ Enterprise of the Government of India with ‘MINI RATNA’ status, is a premier PSU in India for development of hydropower and Vidhyut Utpadan Company Limited (VUCL), Nepal is responsible to develop, build, own and operate large-scale hydropower projects in public-private partnership model in Nepal.

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

The project will use the flow from the Karnali River for power generation and the generated power will be fed into 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.