Arun-III Hydro Power Project

About Arun-III Hydro Power Project:

• It is a 900 MW run-of-the-river hydropower project being constructed on the Arun River in Sankhuwasabha District of Eastern Nepal.
  • Arun is a tributary of the Koshi River in Nepal. 
• The project comprises a 70-meter-tall and 466-meter-long concrete gravity dam and a Head Race Tunnel (HRT) of 11.74 km with underground an power house containing four generating units of 225 MW each on left bank.
• It is being developed with Indian assistance at a cost of Rs. 144 billion.
• Once completed, it will be the biggest hydroelectric facility in Nepal.
• It is being developed on a build-own-operate-and-transfer (BOOT) basis by Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) Arun-III Power Development Company (SAPDC), a joint venture of the Government of India and the Government of Himachal Pradesh.
• SAPDCwill operate the facility for a period of 25 years, excluding the construction period of five years, before transferringownership to the Nepal government.
• Nepal will receive 21.9% of the electricity generated at the power plant as free powerduring these initial 25 years of commercial operations.
• The output from the power plant will be transferred to Muzaffarpur in India through a 317 km-long 400 kV double circuit transmission line. 

Q1: What is a gravity dam?

A gravity dam is a type of dam that relies on its own weight and mass to resist the horizontal pressure of water, thereby preventing the flow of water. These dams are constructed using concrete or masonry and are designed in such a way that their massive weight provides the stability needed to withstand the forces exerted by water.

Source: Nepal and India Mark Major Milestone in Arun III Hydropower Project