| dc.description.abstract | Nepal s largest natural resource is the potential for hydropower (HP) development. The potential for HP could help to solve the poor economic situation in Nepal.
The main purpose of this master thesis is to investigate if it is possible to develop a HP project where there already is a water supply project under construction, ergo develop a Multi-Purpose project. A project that has been explored for this possibility before is the Melamchi water supply project, which is under construction today and is supposed to supply water to Kathmandu valley. In cooperation with senior engineer Dan Jantzen, this thesis investigates if it is still possible to use the latest plans (the previous 2008 plans) for developing HP together with water supply, or if there has to be developed new plans for creating the Melamchi-project as a Multi-Purpose project.
Based on a study of collected data, the previous 2008 plans (phase I) for the Melamchi-project is not usable. The previous 2008 plans was not compatible with the Melamchi water supply development board s (MWSDB) current plan, mainly due to the plans for diversion tunnels. The most realistic outcome is therefore to not use the previous 2008 plans, but to use the MWSDB current plans as a base for developing new plans that include HP development.
This is done by a rough prefeasibility study of alternatively new plans. Seven alternatives are presented in this thesis. Five of the alternatives are rejected and two of them (Alternative 1 and 2) were explored more detailed due to more realistic solutions and available data. Alternative 1 represents a RoR HP-project that uses water from the Balephi River. The Balephi HP intake is located at elevation 2560 m.a.s.l. The headrace tunnel from the Balephi intake to the Larke headworks is approximately 13 km and the head is 920 m. The HPP is located at the Larke headworks. Alternative 1 gives a potential annual production of 949 GWh. The total construction cost of the project is approximately equal to 95 Mill. $. The NPV of alternative 1 is 531 Mill. $. and the FIRR is 30,66 %.
Alternative 2 also represent a RoR HP project. Water from the Kuntun, the Ghagar, the Tadi and the Melamchi River enters a headrace tunnel at Ribarma at elevation 1800 m.a.s.l.. The headrace tunnel is 3,22 km and the head is 315 m. The HPP is located right above the Melamchi water supply intake at Timbu. Alternative 2 gives a potential annual production on 204 GWh. The total construction cost of the project is approximately equal to 37,2 Mill. $. The NPV for alternative 2 is 98,45 Mill.$ and the FIRR is 21,15 %,. Both of the proposed alternatives are profitable and should be sorted as interesting projects for further work beyond this thesis. | en |
