The Project · Sindhupalchok, Nepal
Balephi-A Hydropower Project
A 22.14 MW run-of-river scheme on the Balephi Khola in Sindhupalchok District, designed to generate about 125 GWh a year for the national grid.
- Design Discharge
- 32.40 m³/s
- Mean Annual Energy
- 125.3 GWh
- Gross / Net Head
- 86 m / 81 m
- Installed Capacity
- 22.14 MW
How It Works
From River to National Grid
Water is taken from the Balephi Khola at the weir, cleaned in the settling basin and carried more than 3 km by canal and steel pipe. From the surge tank it drops 86 m through the penstock to the powerhouse, and then returns to the river.
Swipe to see the whole scheme
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1
Diversion Weir & Intake
33 m ogee weir · crest at 912 m
A 33 m ogee weir raises the river and turns up to 32.4 m³/s into a side intake with five openings. Two hydraulic gates flush gravel and silt past the weir.
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2
Settling Basin
2 basins · 107 m × 22.5 m
After a gravel trap and an 82 m approach canal, the water slows down in two surface basins so fine sand settles out before it reaches the turbines.
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3
Headrace Canal
~948 m · 4.7 m × 3.5 m
A concrete-lined box canal carries the water along the hillside at a gentle gradient to the forebay.
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4
Forebay
20 m × 5.7 m × 10.7 m
Steadies the flow and feeds it smoothly into the headrace pipe.
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5
Headrace Pipe
2,281 m · Ø 3.8 m steel
A 3.8 m steel pipe, buried in places and on the surface in others, carries the water from the forebay to the surge tank.
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6
Surge Tank
Circular concrete · Ø 12.3 m
Absorbs pressure surges when the turbines start, stop or change load, protecting the pipe and penstock.
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7
Penstock
803 m · Ø 3.8 m steel
Drops the water to the powerhouse, building up the pressure that drives the turbines.
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8
Powerhouse
3 × 7.38 MW Francis · 86 m gross head
A 55 m × 18 m surface building housing three Francis turbines, each driving a 7.68 MVA generator.
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9
Tailrace
~115 m covered canal
Returns the water to the river below the powerhouse.
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10
Transmission Line
9 km · 33 kV double circuit
A 33 kV double-circuit line carries the power to NEA’s Pangtang substation.
Construction67%
Project Location
Balephi Rural Municipality, Sindhupalchok
The project lies in Balephi Rural Municipality (the former Golche and Selang VDCs) of Sindhupalchok District, Bagmati Province, between latitudes 27°50′48″N and 27°51′42″N and longitudes 85°45′00″E and 85°46′31″E.
Access is by road from Balephi Bazaar to Naubise and on to Kumeshwor.
Salient Features
Technical Specifications
Location & Type
- District
- Sindhupalchok, Bagmati Province
- River
- Balephi Khola
- Municipality
- Balephi Rural Municipality (former Golche and Selang VDCs)
- Latitude
- 27°50′48″N – 27°51′42″N
- Longitude
- 85°45′00″E – 85°46′31″E
- Type of Plant
- Snow-fed run-of-river
Hydrology & Energy
- Catchment Area at Intake
- 542.65 km²
- Design Discharge
- 32.40 m³/s
- Probability of Exceedance
- 40%
- Design Flood (1 in 100 yr)
- 2,008.2 m³/s
- Design Flood (1 in 200 yr)
- 2,363.5 m³/s
- Mean Annual Energy
- 125.3 GWh
- Dry / Wet Season Energy
- 37.4 GWh / 87.9 GWh
Headworks
- Diversion Weir
- Ogee type with bottom under-sluice
- Weir Crest Level
- 912 m
- Weir Length / Height
- 33 m / 7 m above riverbed
- Under-sluice Gates
- 2, hydraulically operated
- Intake
- Side intake, 5 openings of 5.1 m × 2.1 m with coarse trash racks
- Intake Invert Level
- 909.80 m
- Gravel Trap
- Concrete-lined trapezoidal chamber, ~18 m × 16 m × 10.5 m
Settling Basin
- Type
- Surface, 2 basins
- Effective Size
- 107 m × 22.5 m × 8.5 m
- Particle Size / Trap Efficiency
- 0.20 mm / 90%
- Flushing
- Gated pipe, Ø 0.90 m
Waterways
- Approach Canal
- Concrete box canal, ~82 m, 4.5 m × 3 m, slope 1:500
- Headrace Canal
- Concrete box canal, ~948 m, 4.7 m × 3.5 m, slope 1:1000
- Forebay
- Surface concrete, 20 m × 5.7 m × 10.7 m
- Headrace Pipe
- Steel, Ø 3.8 m, 2,281 m
- Surge Tank
- Circular concrete, Ø 12.3 m × 16 m high
- Penstock
- Steel, Ø 3.8 m, 803 m, 12–22 mm thick
Powerhouse & Grid
- Powerhouse
- Surface, 55 m × 18 m × 14.81 m
- Gross / Net Head
- 86 m / 81 m
- Installed Capacity
- 22.14 MW
- Turbines
- 3 Francis units of 7.38 MW, 750 rpm
- Generators
- Brushless synchronous, 7.68 MVA, 11 kV
- Transformers
- 2 three-phase outdoor, 6.6/33 kV, 50 Hz
- Tailrace
- Covered rectangular canal, ~115 m, 5 m × 2 m
- Tailwater Level
- 826 m
- Transmission Line
- 33 kV double circuit, 9 km to Pangtang substation
Key Facts
Licences, Contracts and Finance
Licences & Dates
- Company incorporated
- 13 July 2006
- Generation licence
- 19 April 2015
- Financial closure
- 2 July 2021
- Public limited company
- 15 July 2022
- Commercial operation
- To be announced
Power Purchase Agreement
- Buyer
- Nepal Electricity Authority
- Signed / amended
- 30 Oct 2012 (10.6 MW) / 28 Dec 2020 (+11.54 MW)
- Term
- 30 years from commercial operation
- Tariff
- Rs 8.40 per kWh dry season, Rs 4.80 wet season
- Contracted energy
- 124.56 GWh a year
Finance
- Project cost
- Rs 6,216 million (revised, about Rs 281 million per MW)
- Funding
- 65% bank debt, 35% equity
- Bank facilities
- Rs 4,070 million (Rs 3,404 million term loan + Rs 666 million proposed), rated CARE-NP BB-
- Source
- CARE Ratings Nepal, December 2025
Powering Nepal's Progress, Sustainably
Get in Touch With Us
We're here to answer any questions you may have about the Balephi-A Hydropower Project.