Tungun-Thosne Khola Hydropower Project

About

The Tungun–Thosne Khola Hydropower Station is a 4.36 MW run-of-river project located in Lalitpur District, Central Development Region, Nepal. Developed by Khani Khola Hydropower Company Ltd., it harnesses the combined flow of Tungun and Thosne Khola tributaries. The project features a gross head of 167.6 meters and a rated design head of 164.7 meters with a design discharge of 3.18 m³/s. Commercial operation began on September 25, 2016 (9 Kartik 2073 BS). The plant comprises two horizontal-shaft Pelton turbines rated at 2,300 kW each, operating at 600 RPM with an efficiency of 89%. The electricity generated is evacuated through a 33 kV transmission line and sold to the Nepal Electricity Authority under a Power Purchase Agreement signed in July 2012. The cascade arrangement with the downstream Khani Khola Hydropower Station (2 MW) allows efficient use of tailwater, with a combined annual generation of approximately 32.27 GWh. The project cost was approximately NPR 584.465 million with a loan-equity ratio of 11%, an internal rate of return (IRR) of 13.76%, and a simple payback period of 6.5 years.