- 2078 Bhadra · 4 marks
Top producers and early plants of Nepal
Short answer
Top three countries by installed capacity: China (~370 GW), Brazil (~109 GW), USA (~103 GW). Largest Nepali plants: Upper Tamakoshi (456 MW), Kaligandaki A (144 MW), Middle Marsyangdi (70 MW). First plants: Pharping 500 kW (1911), Sundarijal 640 kW (1936), Panauti 2.4 MW (1965).
Answer the following: (i) What are the top three hydropower producing countries in the world till 2020? (ii) What are the three existing largest power plants in Nepal (with capacity)? (iii) What are the first three hydropower plants (capacity and year) in the history of Nepal?
(i) Top three hydropower producing countries (till 2020)
By installed capacity and generation, the leaders are:
- China - about 370 GW (largest, with the Three Gorges 22.5 GW)
- Brazil - about 109 GW (Itaipu, shared with Paraguay)
- USA - about 103 GW
(Canada, about 82 GW, is a close fourth and is second-ranked in some lists by generation.)
(ii) Three largest existing power plants in Nepal
| Plant | Capacity | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Upper Tamakoshi (commissioned 2021) | 456 MW | Peaking RoR |
| Kaligandaki A | 144 MW | Peaking RoR |
| Middle Marsyangdi | 70 MW | Peaking RoR |
Before Upper Tamakoshi (up to 2020), the three largest were Kaligandaki A (144 MW), Middle Marsyangdi (70 MW) and Marsyangdi (69 MW). Kulekhani I (60 MW) is the only large storage plant.
(iii) First three hydropower plants of Nepal
| Plant | Capacity | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Pharping | 500 kW | 1911 AD (1968 BS) |
| Sundarijal | 640 kW | 1936 AD (1993 BS) |
| Panauti | 2.4 MW | 1965 AD (2022 BS) |
Pharping was the first plant in Nepal and one of the first in South Asia. Fewa (1 MW, 1969) and Trishuli (21 MW, 1967) followed later.
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