Arun III Hydroelectric Project: Dam Construction Over 80% Complete, Transmission Line Faces Challenges
Project Overview
The dam construction for the 900-megawatt Arun III Hydroelectric Project under development in Sankhuwasabha has surpassed 80 percent completion. However, the expansion of the transmission lines has been delayed due to local resistance, difficulties in acquiring public land, and legal complications, according to the Ministry of Energy. Nepal will receive 21.9 percent, or 197.1 megawatts, of the project’s electricity free of charge, with the project to be transferred to the Nepalese government after 25 years.
July 26, Kathmandu – The dam construction for the 900-megawatt capacity Arun III Hydroelectric Project, being developed in Sankhuwasabha, has progressed by over 80 percent. While the overall physical progress of the project is satisfactory, the construction of transmission lines to connect the generated electricity to the national grid has encountered various legal and local challenges. According to Shaligram Bhandari, Assistant Spokesperson of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, although the hydroelectric project is advancing rapidly, the expansion of transmission lines is hindered by local obstacles, public land acquisition issues, and legal disputes related to land boundary demarcations.
“Disputes related to the transmission line corridors and rights of way (RoW) remain unresolved,” he stated. “Approximately 1.8 kilometers of the Dhalkebar–Sitamadhi transmission line section towards India has been constructed, but progress on the Nepalese side is stalled due to rights of way issues.” According to him, a 220 kV transmission line requires a corridor of 30 meters on each side, and compensation is provided for only 10 to 20 percent of this area, which has made it difficult to reach an agreement with local communities.
The Ministry, Nepal Electricity Authority, and other concerned agencies are coordinating efforts to resolve these challenges. The government has prioritized the construction of the 400 kV cross-border transmission line connecting Dhalkebar and Sitamadhi to export electricity produced from the Arun III project to India. At the 13th Joint Steering Committee meeting between Nepal and India at the energy secretariat level held in Pokhara on June 14, an agreement was reached to increase the import capacity from 1,000 MW to 1,400 MW and the export capacity from 1,100 MW to 1,650 MW through this transmission line.