Sipring Khola Hydroelectric Project

About

The Sipring Khola Hydropower Station is a 10 MW run-of-the-river project located in Dolakha District, Bagmati Province, Nepal. Developed by Synergy Power Development Pvt. Ltd., the project has been in operation since 2069-10-03 BS (January 16, 2013). It utilizes the high-head flow of the Sipring Khola through two 5 MW horizontal-shaft Pelton turbines to generate approximately 32 GWh of electricity annually. The plant features a gross head of 443.7 m and design discharge of 2.61 m³/s. Key infrastructure includes a Tyrolean intake, a 1,478 m inverted D-shaped headrace tunnel with a 52 m audit portal, and a 649.22 m penstock pipeline that transitions from 1.2 m to 0.9 m in diameter. The powerhouse is surface-type, and power is transmitted via a 33 kV, 3-phase transmission system. The control system is PLC-based, including hydraulic spherical inlet valves and governors. The project includes 5% community equity shares and is co-financed by a consortium of Nepali banks. It contributes significantly to Nepal’s renewable energy goals and supplies electricity to the national grid via the Nepal Electricity Authority.