Preparation to prepare EIA of Kimathanka-Arun gains momentum

KATHMANDU: The preparation to build the Kimathanka-Arun Hydropower Project (454 MW) is finally gaining momentum.

Vidyut Utpadan Company Ltd has started preparation to conduct an environmental impact assessment (EIA) study to develop the semi-reservoir project. NEA Engineering, a subsidiary of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), is the consultant for the project.

According to the company, the project will build a 70-meter tall dam on the Arun River which will create a reservoir spreading over 350 square kilometers. The project’s powerhouse at Pungmuchhi will have four generation units. The project will have a 500-meter headrace and about a 751-meter tailrace.

The project will have an underground powerhouse.

Kimathanka-Arun is the northernmost project on the Arun Corridor where hydropower projects with a combined capacity of more than 2,000 MW are under different phases of implementation.