China-built hydropower plant in Nepal put into operation

This photo taken on March 17, 2025 shows the Sanjen Khola hydropower station in Rasuwa district, Nepal. (China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd./Handout via Xinhua)

KATHMANDU, April 10 (Xinhua) -- The Sanjen Khola hydropower station in Nepal, built by a Chinese company, has been put into operation and connected to the national grid, contributing to efforts in alleviating local power shortage.

The project in Rasuwa district in central-north Nepal was invested and constructed by China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd. It is a run-of-river power plant with a total installed capacity of 78 megawatts.

Hitendra Dev Shakya, managing director of the Nepal Electricity Authority, speaks at the launch ceremony of the Sanjen Khola hydropower station in Kathmandu, Nepal, April 9, 2025. (Hari Maharjan/Xinhua)

"In this dry season, the power generated by this project is very important to us," said Hitendra Dev Shakya, managing director of the Nepal Electricity Authority.

Speaking at the launch ceremony held in Kathmandu on Wednesday, Shakya stressed that power generated round-the-clock from the Sanjen Khola power plant will help reduce load shedding in the industrial area.

Guests launch the Sanjen Khola hydropower station at the launch ceremony in Kathmandu, Nepal, April 9, 2025. (Hari Maharjan/Xinhua)

The project will not only help optimize local energy structure and reduce electricity costs, but will also inject positive impetus into economic development, said Wang Xin, charge d'affaires at the Chinese Embassy in Nepal.

This photo taken on March 17, 2025 shows the Sanjen Khola hydropower station in Rasuwa district, Nepal. (China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd./Handout via Xinhua)

Dipak Khadka, Nepal's minister for energy, water resources and irrigation, said at the ceremony that the power plant started production in the dry season when the existing hydropower projects do not produce enough electricity, and it was completed when Nepal and China mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025.

"Such collaboration is helpful in further strengthening the bond between us," the minister said.