Chilime Hydropower Plant

Chilime Hydropower Plant is a run-of-the-river type plant situated in Chilime of Rasuwa district in Nepal, which is 133 km north of Kathmandu. Its headworks are located near Chilime, whereas the underground power plant is located about 4.5 km (2.8 mi) to the southwest in Syafrubesi on the banks of the local Bhotekoshi river. Water from a weir is diverted into a reservoir before it can be used at the power plant. The difference in elevation between the reservoir and power station affords a gross hydraulic head (water drop) of 351.5 m (1,153 ft). The plant has an installed capacity of 22.1 MW. The generated electricity is fed into the national grid via a 38 km 66 kV single circuit transmission line. Most of the power house facilities are underground, with the switchyard the only feature that remains on the surface. The plant employs two horizontal axis Pelton turbines each of 11.28 MW.[1]

Chilime
Location of Chilime in Nepal
Official name	Chilime Hydroelectric Plant
Country	Nepal
Location	Chilime
Coordinates	28°11′11.47″N 85°17′59.83″E
Purpose	Power
Opening date	2003
Construction cost	Rs. 248 crore (approx)
Owner(s)	Chilime Hydropower Company Limited
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Gravity, weir
Impounds	Chilime River
Height	3.25 m (10.7 ft)
Length	13 m (43 ft)
Reservoir
Creates	Chilime Peaking Pond
Total capacity	53,032 m3 (42.994 acre⋅ft)
Chilime Hydropower Plant
Coordinates	28°9′26.45″N 85°19′55.22″E
Operator(s)	Chilime Hydropower Company Limited
Commission date	2003
Type	Run-of-the-river
Hydraulic head	351.5 m (1,153 ft) (gross)
Turbines	2 x 11.28 MW Pelton-type
Installed capacity	22.1 MW
Annual generation	132.918 GWh
Website http://www.chilime.com.np

The plant is operated by Chilime Hydropower Company Limited which is a subsidiary of Nepal Electricity Authority. The plant started its commercial generation from August 2003.[2] Chilime is the brainchild of Dr. Damber Bahadur Nepali, a prominent hydropower expert in Nepal, who founded the company and worked as its first Managing Director.[3] The success story of this indigenously-designed, locally-built and Nepali-financed powerplant, largely the result of Dr. Nepali, has become a living proof that the paradigm shift in Nepali hydropower planning has brought real change.[4][5]