Upper Chaku A Hydropower Project in Progress

In order to facilitate the ever growing demand of power and cope with the precarious condition of power supply in the country, private sector has shown its interest and taken initiatives towards the development of power projects in the country. Among many developers as IPP’s, Shiva Shree Hydropower Ltd. is developing Upper Chaku “A” Hydropower Project in the frontier of Phulpingkatti and Marming VDC’s of Sindhupalchok district. Upper Chaku “A” Hydropower Project is a run-of river (RoR) type of hydropower project with installed capacity of 22.2 MW and will be able to generate 118.08 GWH of energy annually. Chaku khola is a perennial river and is one of the major tributary of Bhotekoshi River. It has 40% dependable flow of 3.25 m³/ sec and gross head available for the project is 815 m.

The Araniko Highway (Kathmandu-Kodari Highway, 114km) is the main access of the project. The project area is linked through Chaku Bazar, which is located at 102 km chainage from Kathmandu. Chaku Bazar is located 17 km north from Barhabise, which is the nearest main bazaar from the project area. Power house is located just upstream of head works built by Middle Chaku Hydropower Project and accessible by 2.5 km gravel road from Chaku Khola Bridge of Araniko highway. The headworks is located at 2178 masl. Side intake followed by gravel trap and connecting canal to settling basin is the main structure. A connecting headrace pipe of dia 1600 mm will lead the design flow to head race tunnel. Total length of head race tunnel is 2490 m. Total length of the penstock pipe is 1526 m.

Two pelton type turbine and synchronous generator units will be installed in the power house. Two 11/132 kV step-up power transformers of capacity 15MVA each will be installed in power house switchyard. The generated energy will be evacuated to existing Lamosanghu substation of NEA by constructing 132 kV transmission line. The Company is taking up the construction of 22 km 132 kV transmission line of which 14 km line shall be in single circuit towers and remaining 8 km line of double circuit towers with single circuit stringing. Total number of towers will be 73.