India, Nepal Energy Ministers visit SJVN's 900 MW Arun-3 Hydro Electric Project

New Delhi: The Union Minister of Power, Government of India Manohar Lal and the Energy Minister of Nepal Deepak Khadka, undertook a joint visit to the under-construction 900 MW Arun-3 Hydro Electric Project in Nepal. The project is being developed by SJVN Arun-3 Power Development Company (SAPDC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Indian public sector enterprise SJVN Limited.

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The Indian delegation, led by Manohar Lal, was received at Kathmandu airport by SJVN CMD (Additional Charge) RK Chaudhary who also accompanied the dignitaries to the project site. The visit saw the participation of several senior officials, including His Excellency Naveen Srivastava, Indian Ambassador to Nepal; Suresh Acharya, Secretary, Ministry of Energy, Government of Nepal; Akash Tripathi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Power, Government of India; and Sushil Gyawali, CEO, Investment Board of Nepal, among others.

During the visit, the Ministers inspected the powerhouse and reviewed the ongoing turbine assembly work. SAPDC CEO Prashant Sharma, provided a detailed briefing on the status and progress of the powerhouse construction. Impressed with the pace and quality of execution, both Ministers lauded the efforts of the project team and emphasized the importance of maintaining momentum for timely completion.

Marking a significant milestone, the Ministers jointly inaugurated the start of electro-mechanical works of Unit #2 of the project.

The delegation also toured the dam site and inspected the Head Race Tunnel (HRT) through Adit 1. The excavation of the 11.7-km-long HRT was successfully completed in June 2024 and was commemorated by the then Prime Minister of Nepal. Currently, benching and lining works of the tunnel are in progress and are scheduled for completion in the coming months.

Both Ministers expressed satisfaction over the progress of HRT and other critical works and urged SAPDC to expedite dam construction activities to ensure the early commissioning of the project.

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