Mai Beni Hydropower Project - 9.51 MW
Located in the middle reach of Mai river in Ilam district of eastern part of Nepal, Mai Beni Hydropower Project is a Run-of-River type hydropower project with an installed capacity of 9.51 MW. The Project is the pilot project of Urja Developers Pvt. Ltd. The components of the project lie between an elevation of 490m and 645m above mean sea level. All the major components of the project are within 5 km distance from Mechi highway. The project is in operation since September 17, 2021.
Salient Features
- Installed capacity: 9.51 MW
- Project Location: Maijogmai Rural Municipality & Ilam Municipality, Ilam district, Province – 1
- Type of Scheme: Run-of-River (RoR)
- Gross Head: 147.5 m
- Net Rated Head: 134 m
- Design Discharge: 8.4 m3/s
- Net Annual Energy: 53.28 GWh
- Headrace tunnel: 2565 m
- Headrace pipe: 1789 m
- Power Evacuation to: Godak Substation ( 4 km from Powerhouse)
Progress Updates
- Construction of access road and other site enabling works completed
- Detail engineering design completed
- Financial Closure concluded with Nepal SBI Bank Ltd. as a lead bank and Siddhartha Bank Ltd. as a member bank
- Overall civil works, Hydromechanical works, electromechanical works and transmission line works completed
- Construction of Permanent camp and mobilization of operation team to permanent camp completed
- Commercial Operation started from September 17, 2021 (Ashwin 1, 2078) after successful completion of dry test, wet test and 15 days’ trial production period
Key Milestones
- Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) – November 2016
- Generation License – April 2018
- Construction Start – May 2018
- Financial Closure – December 2018
- Updated Initial Environment Examination- June 2019
- Project Completion- August 2021
- Commercial Operation Date (COD) – September 2021
The Commercial Operation of project started from September 17, 2021 prior to Required Commercial Operation Date (RCOD) as per the power purchase agreement- Nov 2021.