Gwh/yr

Energy Generation

14MW

Installed Capacity

About

The Kulekhani III Hydroelectric Project is a 14 MW conventional run-of-river cascade project located in Makwanpur District, Bagmati Province, Nepal. It utilizes the regulated tailwater flow from Kulekhani II and the natural flow from the Khani Khola River. Operated by the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), the project began trial generation in October 2019, with its two 7 MW Francis turbines entering test operation on 2 October and 11 October 2019, respectively. The project does not involve construction of a new dam; rather, it diverts regulated flow through a ~4 km headrace tunnel to a surface powerhouse at Sanutar village, Bhimphedi Rural Municipality. With a gross head of approximately 102.6 m and an estimated design flow of 42 m³/s, the plant produces about 40.85 GWh of electricity annually. It is connected to the national grid via a short 132 kV transmission line (~0.5 km). Funded and owned by NEA, the project experienced long delays from its initial identification in 1988 to final commissioning in 2019. The construction was carried out by Sinohydro (civil works) and Zhejiang Jinlun (electromechanical). Kulekhani III plays a key role in Nepal’s hydropower cascade system without additional storage infrastructure.

Salient Features

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Application for Survey License

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Survey License Approved

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Application for Generation License

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Under Construction

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Live

Location