Power generation has been stopped for the maintenance of the 50 MW upper Marsyangdi 'A' hydropower project located in Bhulbhule, Marsyangdi Rural Municipality of Lamjung.
During the winter time, when 28 megawatts are currently being produced, the project has requested permission from the Nepal Electricity Authority to 'shut down' and start maintenance. Karna Adhikari, public relations officer of the
project, confirmed that the repair work has been started after stopping the power generation. According to him, the repair work is being done under the supervision of a Chinese company. He said that he did not know much else because the repair work was technical. The
project has started repairing the power house by making an action plan from Saturday to Friday. Electricity generation has been stopped for this. The dam area is being repaired for the last 2 weeks. Project sources said that this work will last for at least 3 months, but there is no need to stop power generation.
The Chinese company 'Bureau Seven' is repairing the dam area through Nepalese construction professionals. A technical team including Chinese expert engineers is working on the turbine repair and other works at the power house. It only has Chinese. The flood in Marsyangdi has damaged the turbine due to accumulation of sand particles. The repair work is being done by removing sand particles, said the project source. According to the project, there are 2 Francis turbines and there is no need to change them. According to the project, this is a regular maintenance done annually.
Upper Marsyangdi 'A' hydropower project is the first hydropower project built in Nepal with Chinese investment. Due to floods in Marsyangdi during the rainy season, the project has been damaged and the project is being repaired from time to time. According to
project sources, the project, which generates more than 1 million units of electricity per day, will incur a loss of 500,000 when it is closed for just 1 hour. According to project sources, there will be a loss of around 12 crores due to closure for 1 day (24 hours).
Chinese multinational company Sino Hydro has 90 percent investment and Nepal's Chitwan Koi Group (Sagarmatha Hydropower Company) has 10 percent investment in the Upper Marsyangdi 'A' hydropower project built with an investment of 16 billion rupees. After the construction started in January 2013 and was completed in 4 years, the project started producing commercial electricity from January 2017.
