Prime Minister of Nepal Shri Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ triggered the last blast to mark the completion of heading excavation for the 11.8 km long Head Race Tunnel of 900 MW Arun- 3 Hydro Electric Project in Sankhuwasabha District of Nepal. Arun - 3 Hydro Electric Project is being executed by SJVN Arun-3 Power Development Company Pvt. Ltd. (SAPDC), a fully owned subsidiary of SJVN. SAPDC is a significant collaboration between SJVN and the Government of Nepal, which aims to enhance regional energy security and boost economic development through sustainable hydropower generation in Arun River Basin.

Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation of Nepal Shri Shakti Bahadur Basnet; Health Minister, Province 1 of Nepal Shri Rajender Karki; India’s Ambassador to Nepal Shri Naveen Srivastava; Chairperson & Managing Director, SJVN, Shri Sushil Sharma; CEO, Investment Board of Nepal. Shri Sushil Bhatta; CEO, SAPDC, Shri Arun Dhiman; Executive Director, SJVN, Shri Rakesh Sehgal; and other officials of Government of Nepal and local authorities were present at the tunnel breakthrough ceremony.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister of Nepal said that this breakthrough brings us closer to the goal of providing clean, renewable energy and in contributing to the sustainable development of the region. He expressed his appreciation for the ongoing efforts and reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of Nepal to facilitate the timely completion of Arun - 3 Hydro Electric Project.

India’s Ambassador to Nepal Shri Naveen Srivastava recalled in his address that the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi and his Nepali counterpart Shri Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ had agreed last year, to the long-term power trade agreement for the import of electricity from Nepal. He said that completion of export-oriented 900 MW Arun 3 Hydro Electric Project will be a major milestone for this.

CMD, SJVN, Shri Sushil Sharma apprised the Prime Minister of Nepal that the successful breakthrough of the Head Race Tunnel marks a significant milestone in the construction of the 900 MW Arun-3 Hydro Electric Project. He added that the successful completion of the Head Race Tunnel is a monumental achievement in the journey to harness the hydropower potential of the Arun River.

The CMD briefed the Prime Minister about the progress of the project and the associated 217 km. long transmission line. He informed that more than 74% of the project works have been completed and that the remaining works are going on in full swing. He added that Arun- 3 Hydro Electric Project will start generating electricity by next year and that it has the potential to generate 3,924 million units of electricity every year.

The CMD said: "We are grateful for the unwavering support from the Government of Nepal, local authorities, and the community. This project symbolizes the strong partnership between India and Nepal in the energy sector and our collective efforts to achieve energy security and environmental sustainability."

During his visit to Nepal, CMD, SJVN also met with Chief Secretary of Nepal Dr. Baikuntha Aryal and Home Secretary of Nepal Shri Eaknarayan Aryal and discussed various issues related to development of hydroelectric projects in Arun Valley in Nepal.

Currently, SJVN is executing 2,200 MW of three Hydroelectric Projects on Arun River basin in Nepal.

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PIB | Kripa Shankar Yadav / Dheep Joy Mampilly