Loan investment has been secured in the largest hydropower project to be built with private sector investment in Nepal. 10 banks and financial institutions will jointly invest 52.5 billion rupees for the construction of the 341 MW Budhigandaki semi-reservoir hydropower (PROR) project.

According to Times Energy, the project promoter company, the investment is managed under the consortium model under the leadership of Nepal Investment Mega Bank (NIMB). Sushil Thapa, director of Times Energy and Jyoti Prakash Pandey, chief executive officer (CEO) of Nepal Investment Mega Bank, signed the agreement on behalf of Times Energy at a program held on Thursday in Kathmandu. The total estimated cost of the

project is Rs 70 billion. Of that, 75 percent i.e. 52 and a half billion rupees will be raised through loans, while the remaining 25 percent will be the promoter's own capital. Sahash Urja Limited owns 51 percent of promoter company Times Energy. According to the company, Sahash Energy will bear most of the capital investment.

Under the leadership of Nepal Investment Mega Bank, Nabil, Lakshmi Sunrise and Global IME Bank are going to invest loans under the co-leadership. NIMB 10 billion, Nabil Bank 8 billion, Lakshmi Sunrise Bank 8 billion, Global IME Bank 7 billion, Machhapuchhre Bank 4 billion, Citizens Bank 3 billion, Nepal Infrastructure Bank 3 billion, Prabhu Bank 3 billion, 

will invest 2 billion 500 million rupees from Krishi Bikas Bank and 4 billion rupees from Hydro Electricity and Development Company. Budhigandaki hydropower project is the biggest one promoted by Sahash Urja Limited. Earlier, the financial management of 285 MW Upper Tamor and 216 MW Upper Seti hydropower projects has been done.

Among the projects that have been put into operation, Solukhola Dudhkoshi of 86 MW is the largest project that has been completed by the private sector. Solukhola Dudhkoshi built by Sahash Energy is in operation from January 2079. 86 MW Solukhola Dudhkoshi hydropower project was also invested under the leadership of NIMB.  In the

program, Pandey, the CEO of Nepal Investment Mega Bank, said earlier that the 86 MW Solu Dudhkoshi was also completed and commissioned by Sahash Energy on time, saying that they are ready to invest again. "We have already invested, banks are ready to invest in the Budhigandaki project due to the leadership experience and working style of Saha Energy," he said.

Budhigandaki semi-reservoir project dam will be constructed in Chumanubri rural municipality-3 of Gorkha. It is said that the power house will be located in Dharche Rural Municipality-3. There is a distance of about 10 km between the dam and the power house. Power House The underground project will have a 398 meter long head (water fall height), 6.9 km tunnel and 6 turbines with a capacity of 56.8 MW. 17 lakh 60 thousand cubic meters of water can be stored in the dam, from which electricity will be generated for 6 hours a day. It is estimated that the annual average of 1867.77 gigawatt hours of electricity will be generated after the operation of the

project. According to the company, 320.30 gigawatts of electricity will be produced in the main dry season, 243.43 gigawatts in the normal dry season and 1304.04 gigawatts in the rainy season. The 'design discharge' required for project operation is 100.25 cubic meters per second. 

Times Energy will sell the electricity produced by the project to the Nepal Electricity Authority. According to the Power Purchase and Sale Agreement (PPA) with the authority, the authority will purchase electricity at the rate of Rs 4.80 per unit in rainy season, Rs 8.40 per unit in winter and Rs 10.55 per unit during peak time. The generated electricity will be connected to the under construction 400 kV Ratamate substation at Nuwakot through Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) through a 45 km long 220 kV transmission line. According to the

company, the cost of the project is about 20 million 53 million rupees. The rate of return on investment is estimated to be 16.99 percent. According to the feasibility study, the investment can be recovered from the project within 5 and a half years. The company has said that the project's net present value is 23 billion 24 million rupees.

Courage Energy bought 51 percent shares of Times Energy in December 2080. After that, it has received permission for project construction and production from the Electricity Development Department. The company aims to start commercial production from the project by December 17, 2087. The promoter company claims that the financial and material risk of the

project is low. The project will be completed on time due to road access to the construction site, access to the transmission line, water source assurance and necessary geographical conditions at the construction site.

Himprasad Pathak, chairman of Times Energy Pvt. "We are going to make a big project out of the ones that have been commissioned by the private sector and we are going to build a big project now," he said. 

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel said in the financial management program that natural energy and the projects built by investing in it are a quick answer for those who want to create a commentary that nothing happens in Nepal. According to him, based on the past experience, the construction of the Budhigandaki hydropower project is also expected to be completed on time.