For a Managing Director, it is always a matter of satisfaction to see any breakthrough in a project in any normal circumstances. It will be more than this when a breakthrough is made in a circumstance like a Covid-19 crisis like this.

As the process of selection of a new contractor took almost two years, the project has already two years behind the schedule. In this crucial period, breakthrough of any kinds makes project head jubilant.

This is the same with MD Pradip Thike. “Congratulation to the entire team along with my sincere appreciation to all for the immense efforts during the current difficult situation,” writes Thike, managing director Tanahu Hydropower Ltd in his Facebook wall.

Following health protocol, Tanahu Hydropower Project has made a breakthrough of Approach Tunnel to Dam. The construction of the approach tunnel started for four months.

This tunnel is critical as it will provide access to reach the dam site, as the construction of access road is impossible, the project constructed tunnel to make access to dam sites from the rest of the project.

Constructed by the Syno Hydro, the contactor of Package 2, a 314-meter long tunnel will help the contractor of package 1 which has recently signed a contract agreement with the project.

Categorized in national priority project, the construction of Tanahu Hydropower project has just a few months back sign contract agreement with a contactor of package 1.

Although the project has suffered due to behind the schedule, the current pace of work gives consolation to the project team including MD Thike.

After a long procedure issue following breaking contract agreement with Italian Contractor CMC, Tanahu Hydropower Ltd (THL) And Song Da Corporation, Vietnam-Kalika Construction (P) Ltd, Nepal (JV) has signed a contract agreement for the construction of package one of Headworks of Tanahu Hydropower Project.

As a storage-type hydropower project with the capacity of 140MW with an estimated average annual energy generation of 587.7 GWh (Years 1-10) and 489.9 GWh (Year 11 onwards), the main components of the Project is 140 m high concrete gravity dam with a crest length of 175m on the Seti River and reservoir with a total surface area of 7.26 km2.

The elevation of the Full Supply Level(FSL) is 415m above sea level. The waterway consists of a 7.4 m diameter and a 1,203m long headrace tunnel on the right bank for the river. An underground powerhouse measuring 27m wide x 46m high x 97m long will be built approximately 6 km (along the river course) downstream of the dam site.

A 190 m long tailrace tunnel will discharge the tailwater back into the Seti River. Two permanent and primary access roads (totaling 7.3 km) and several temporary and secondary access roads will provide access to the Project area. Temporary facilities include contractor's camps, equipment and maintenance yard, office areas, project staff's camp area, Construction Power Sub-station, etc.

After the termination of agreement byTanahu Hydropower Limited — the developer of Tanahu Hydropower Project — with Cooperativa Muratori e Cementisti di Ravenna on 1 October 2018, the main part of the work stalled.

Although THL published the first tender notice on 25 April 2019, all the tenders were canceled and the re-tender was republished on 28 February 2020. With Covid-19 infection and another round of tenders, the project has further delayed.

Due to this dispute, the project is already running behind the project schedule. Although the new contractor has already started the process of construction of residential sites and others, the Covid-19 resurgence has affected the mobilization of the contractor.

The present contractor Song Da Corporation, Vietnam-Kalika Construction (P) Ltd, and Nepal JV) is expected to accelerate the work after the mobilization. The breakthrough of the access tunnel will pave them for their work.

Realizing that the opening of the access tunnel is highly important to accelerate the speed of work and bridging the gap, MD Thike mobilized Syno Hydro, the contractor of package two, which has been currently undergoing its work, to open the access road. Under the package, Syno Hydro has been working on tunnels, construction of powerhouse and supply of hydro-mechanical and electro-mechanical equipment.

Syno Hydro has already been completed the construction of the Cable Tunnel and currently, it is working on an underground powerhouse, a tunnel for search tank access and an access tunnel to the dam site.

Although Sinohydro Corporation, the Chinese contractor hired to execute the hydro-mechanical and electro-mechanical works under the second package of the project has already mobilized the workforce at the project site, the construction of the entire project will be affected as the tasks of the two contractors are interrelated.

Package one is the biggest work with Nepalese and Vietnam joint venture signed the contract agreement worth Rs.16. 62 billion excluding VAT.

The package one agreement of 140 MW Tanahu Hydropower includes diversion of the river and construction of the dam. As per the agreement, the contractor company has to complete the construction work within 57 months of signing the agreement.

The Tanahu Hydropower Project will be one of the biggest reservoir-type projects in the country, with an estimated annual energy generation capacity of 587.7-gigawatt-hours in the first 10 years of operation.

The project can generate energy for six hours daily during the dry season. Tanahu Hydropower is developing the project using a credit facility extended jointly by the Asian Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency and European Investment Bank. The project is estimated to cost $550 million.

The total cost of the company’s capital structure and financial management project (including transmission line, rural electrification and construction period interest) is US ५० 505 million, ADB 150 million, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) 184 million and European Investment Bank 80 million. 5 million and the Government of Nepal / Nepal Electricity Authority has been financed 86 million dollars.

At a time when the construction work under 3 package 220 kV double circuits Damauli Bharatpur Transmission line and package two are underway, the access tunnel breakthrough and mobilization of package one contractor will a breakthrough in the project as well. This is a major success in the project.