The Joint Venture Company (JVC) formed by BPC and three Chinese Companies; Sichuan Provincial Investment Group Co. Ltd (SCIG), Chengdu Xingcheng Investment Group Co. Ltd. (CXIG), and Qing Yuan Engineering Consulting Co. Ltd. (QYEC), has acquired two additional hydropower projects in the Marsyangdi Corridor to be developed in cascade with BPC’s Lower Manang Marsyangdi HEP. The JVC will develop three projects in the Marsyangdi corridor viz. Manang Marsyangdi Hydro-electric Project (135 MW), Lower Manang Marsyangdi Hydroelectric Project (139.2 MW), and Upper Marsyangdi-2 Hydroelectric Project (327 MW) in a cascade development model, with a total combined capacity of 601 MW.

Manang Marsyangdi Hydro-electric Project (135 MW)

Manang Marsyangdi Hydroelectric Project (MMHEP) is located on the Marsyangdi River in Manang District of Gandaki Province, Nepal. The project area lies within the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP).

BPC holds a 19.40% share of Manang Marsyangdi Hydropower Company Ptd. Ltd, a SPV to develop and operate Manang Marsyangdi HEP. Department of Electricity Development (DoED) has issued the Generation License for 35 years period, and PPA has been concluded with NEA at 135 MW. The contractor’s camp and access road improvements were initially delayed due to hold-ups in the Project Development Agreement (PDA) and financial closure. As of now, the PDA has been signed, and financial closure is underway. The EPC contractor has been selected and mobilized at site to commence pre-construction activities. Water from the MMHEP tailrace will be utilized by Lower Manang Marsyangdi Hydro-electric Project (LMMHEP). Full-fledged construction will start after financial closure with the Exim Bank of China. Approvals for the government land lease and tree cutting have been achieved, and the private land acquisition required for project structures has been completed.

Project Fact Sheet

Lower Manang Marsyangdi Hydroelectric Project (139.2 MW)

The Lower Manang Marsyangdi Hydroelectric Project (LMMHEP) is located in the high Himalayan zone of Gandaki Pradesh in Western Nepal, within the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP). The catchment area at the headwork of the project is 1,693 km², with elevations ranging from 2100 masl to 7800 masl. The powerhouse will be situated at an elevation ranging from 1728 to 1740 masl. The EIA of the project was approved by the GoN in 2070.

Generation License for 140 MW RoR type was received on Kartik 18, 2075. However, to align with the Marsyangdi Cascade projects, LMMHEP has been re-designed to utilize the tail water from the PROR Manang Marsyangdi project, making it a PROR project. The project has now been re-optimized to 139.2 MW. Consequently, the Supplementary EIA (SEIA) was conducted and approved. Application for amendment of generation license to address the change has been submitted to DoED. Industry registration for 139.2 MW has been completed, and PPA has been signed with NEA on 2080/04/31. The SPV formation with the involvement of Chinese partners is underway.

Project Fact Sheet

Upper Marsyangdi-2 Hydroelectric Project (327 MW)

The Upper Marsyangdi-2 Hydroelectric Project (UM2HEP) is a PRoR type project located along Marsyangdi river in Manang and Lamjung Districts of Gandaki Province, Nepal.

The catchment area at the headworks of the project is 2,268 km². The dam site is proposed to be around 2 km upstream of Tal village in the Manang district. The underground powerhouse of the project will be constructed on the right bank of the Marsyangdi river near Syange village in Lamjung district. The survey license was initially issued to Himtal Hydropower Co. Pvt. Ltd, owned by GMR, India. The EIA of the project was approved by GoN in 2069 for 600 MW. Ownership of the project has been transferred from GMR (majority shareholder) to the JV of three Chinese companies and BPC.

Following BPC's acquisition of the project with Chinese Investors, the project report has been updated, and the project capacity has been re-optimized at 327 MW. Now, the Supplementary EIA in line with the updated report has been completed and approved. Investment approval has been received from IBN. After the PPA Act, a MoU was signed with IBN, and the survey license has been granted for DPR preparation. The DPR has been prepared and approved by IBN. The process is ongoing to start the negotiations on the PDA. Power generation by the project will be evacuated through 220 kV transmission line interconnected at the Khudi hub.

The project area is connected by Beshisahar-Chame road. The road distance between the headworks and the powerhouse is 13 km, while the powerhouse is around 24.5 km from Besisahar and approximately 200 km from Kathmandu.

Project Fact Sheet