Nepal's only reservoir-based project, Kulekhani First Hydropower, has been technically converted into a 60-megawatt and a 32-megawatt operation system. After 43 years of its establishment, the project's old and systemically weak equipment has been completely replaced and a state-of-the-art SCADA system has been installed.

Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha came to Kulekhani on Monday to inquire about this technical achievement. Earlier, employees had to give commands manually to start, stop and increase the amount of electricity generated at Kulekhani. However, with the installation of the new SCADA system, the entire hydropower station will now be run by computer software commands, said Nepal Electricity Authority Automation Project Chief Umang Karki. 'New SCADA has been installed in all the equipment of the first and second units of the Kulekhani project on time,' he said, 'Now the equipment of Kulekhani first and second will be operated from the computer, no more manpower is needed.'

Project Chief Karki said that the SCADA installation was completed at a cost of about 250 million. 'The work was completed on time with skilled manpower deployed 24 hours a day,' he said.

All the turbines and machines of Kulekhani first and second units will now be operated and controlled completely automatically directly from the computer screen of the control room without any human error.

With Kulekhani first and second units being fully digital and automated, it has laid a strong technical foundation for the automation of the 100 MW Kulekhani Pump-Storage Project and Kulekhani third that are to be built in the future, said Kulekhani first Chief Prahlad Raut.