Raj Kumar
Gurung.

Nepal has only two storage-type hydropower projects — Kulekhani I and II. Tanahu will become the third, and it changes everything. Unlike run-of-river plants that struggle in the dry winter months when Nepal needs power most, this reservoir-type project stores the Seti River's water behind a 140-metre concrete gravity dam — one of the tallest in the country — and releases it on demand, supplying reliable peak power for a minimum of six hours daily through the dry season.

The powerhouse is built underground on the right bank of the Seti River, housing two 70 MW Francis turbines supplied by Toshiba Energy Systems. The reservoir stretches 25 km upstream with a surface area of 7.26 km² and a gross storage capacity of 295 million m³ — enough to reshape Nepal's energy security for decades to come. Generated electricity travels through a 40 km long 220 kV transmission line to the New Bharatpur substation and into the national grid.

Funded by the Asian Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the European Investment Bank — alongside NEA itself — this is truly an internationally backed national priority. As a deputed mechanical engineer, I am part of the team making it a reality, from construction oversight to mechanical systems integration.