By Kailash Lama
Dolakha, May 25: The construction of 456 megawatt Upper Tamakoshi Hydroelectricity Project is moving ahead without intervention despite the coronavirus pandemic. It recently completed the installation of 373-metre long vertical shaft which is considered highly complex yet important work in the construction of the largest hydroelectricity project to be completed so far.
Austrian company Andritz has successfully completed fitting the last 1.5-metre long penstock pipe in the vertical shaft Saturday morning, said Dr Ganesh Neupane, Spokesperson of the project.
He said that in the lower vertical shaft, 73 pieces 5-metre long and one 1.5-metre long pipes were installed. The completion of the installation of the vertical shaft has drawn the commencement date of energy generation nearer.
Similarly, Railway Engineering of Indian contractor company Texmahas completed the installation of 246-metre penstock pipe in 310-metre long vertical shaft. Dr Neupane said that that remaining 64-metre work will be finished by the third week of July.
As the most complex phase of work at the project was delayed, the energy generation date was postponed multiple times.
The first penstock pipe was installed in the upper vertical shaft in July last year. The 5-metre long 27-ton heavy penstock pipes are being lowered in the shaft with the help of Gantry crane.
As most of the workers and technicians working at the site are Chinese, Italian, Indian and Nepali and have been working since before the coronavirus outbreak in the
country, there is no risk of infection and the work is going on without interruption.
However, Dr Neupane said that all possible safety and caution had been applied to save the workers from infection. Currently, more than 400 workers and staff are working at the project. Civil works are performed by Chinese Sino Hydro, electromechanical work is being done by Andritz, hydromechanical by Railway Engineering and substation and transmission lines by Indian company KEC.
Upper Tamakoshi has successfully performed the test of dam and head works. About 99.5 per cent work in the project is completed. Concrete lining in the tunnel is about to finish and chemical grouting is underway at some locations.
The picking run-of-river project was started about a decade ago and its earlier estimated budget of Rs 49 billion has reached Rs 72 billion with interest.
Delay in the work by the contractor company, earthquake, Indian blockade, rising price of US dollar, increasing price of construction materials, administrative costs and interest of loan have caused cost overrun of the project.
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