--- title: "Study stages for 10 MW remote project" subject: "Hydropower Engineering" chapter: 2 key: "semester_7/hydropower_engineering:small-10mw-study-stages" source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/hydropower_engineering/small-10mw-study-stages site: BCT Engineering --- # Study stages for 10 MW remote project Hydropower Engineering · Chapter 2: Planning of Hydropower Projects - Asked in: 2079 Baishakh, 8 marks - Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14 - Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/hydropower_engineering/small-10mw-study-stages - Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/hydropower_engineering/chapter-2 ## Question If you have to develop a small hydropower project of capacity 10 MW in a cost effective manner in a remote area of Nepal, what are the stages of study that have to be undertaken before the construction starts? ## Short answer Before construction, stages are reconnaissance, pre-feasibility, feasibility, licensing (survey and generation licences, IEE, PPA), detailed design, and pre-construction (land acquisition, access road, camps). Cost‑effective measures include standard modular equipment, short waterway, phased investigations, and sharing access with the community. ## Answer A 10 MW project in a remote area must be studied in a staged way, with the study depth increased only when the results are positive, so that money is not wasted. The stages before construction are: 1. **Reconnaissance (identification):** Desk study with maps, satellite images and DHM data; site visit; estimate flow, head, capacity (about 10 MW), rough layout and cost. Choose a run-of-river layout with the simplest civil structures to save cost. 2. **Pre-feasibility:** Moderate survey, gauging for a season, geological mapping, compare 2-3 layouts and capacities, access road and the transmission link to the nearest grid or load, a rough cost (±20-25%) and benefit-cost; decide whether to continue. 3. **Feasibility:** Detailed survey, long-term hydrology and floods, drilling at the main structures, optimisation of installed capacity, preliminary design and equipment, cost (±10-15%), financial analysis, and IEE (1-50 MW needs IEE). Prepare for PPA and financing. 4. **Licensing and agreements:** Survey licence from DoED before the study (the exclusive right), then IEE approval, PPA with NEA, financial closure, and generation licence. 5. **Detailed design and tender:** Final drawings, specifications, bill of quantities and tender documents. 6. **Pre-construction:** Land acquisition, access road, camps, contractor selection. #### Cost-effective measures for a remote area - Use standard modular equipment and local materials, and keep layout simple (short waterway). - Optimise capacity for the lowest cost per kW and consider a connection to a local mini-grid if the grid is far. - Share the access road with the community, and use local labour. - Phase the study so that costly drilling is done only in the feasibility stage. ## Check yourself The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why. 1. Why is the study done in stages with depth increased only when results are positive? A. So money is not wasted on costly study of a poor project B. To delay construction C. Because law forbids a single study D. To increase consultant fees Answer: A. Early stages are cheap screens; costly investigation is reserved for promising projects. (Key point: Staged study logic) 2. What is the role of the survey licence from DoED? A. It permits generation B. It sets the tariff C. It gives the exclusive right to study the site before the study D. It replaces the IEE Answer: C. The survey licence gives the developer exclusive study rights, before the study begins. (Key point: Survey licence) 3. What environmental approval does a 10 MW project need? A. EIA with public hearing only for above 100 MW B. None C. Only a letter D. IEE approval (1-50 MW) Answer: D. Projects of 1-50 MW need an IEE. (Key point: Environmental study) 4. Why is costly drilling left to the feasibility stage? A. Drilling is illegal earlier B. It should be done only after layout is selected, to avoid waste C. Because rocks change after pre-feasibility D. Because drilling is cheap Answer: B. Phasing means costly drilling is done only for the chosen layout. (Key point: Cost saving in drilling) 5. Which measure helps keep a remote project cost effective? A. A long waterway B. Custom one-off equipment C. Standard modular equipment, local materials and a simple short layout D. Avoiding capacity optimisation Answer: C. Standard equipment and a simple layout cut cost per kW. (Key point: Remote area measures) ## Related in Hydropower Engineering - [300 MW reservoir project: planning to commissioning](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fhydropower_engineering%3Areservoir-300mw-planning-to-commissioning) — Hydropower Engineering, chapter 2 - [Optimize capacity by marginal cost-benefit](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fhydropower_engineering%3Amarginal-cost-benefit-installed-capacity) — Hydropower Engineering, chapter 3 - [Foundation treatment before gravity dam construction](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fhydropower_engineering%3Afoundation-treatment-gravity-dam) — Hydropower Engineering, chapter 4 - [Stages of hydropower development cycle](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fhydropower_engineering%3Adev-cycle-stages) — Hydropower Engineering, chapter 2 - [Optimizing plant capacity of a RoR project](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fhydropower_engineering%3Aror-optimum-capacity-discussion) — Hydropower Engineering, chapter 3 - [Planning stages and field investigations](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fhydropower_engineering%3Aplanning-stages-field-investigations) — Hydropower Engineering, chapter 2 ## Related in other subjects - [Stages of hydropower project study](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fhydro_power%3Ahydropower-study-stages) — Hydro Power, chapter 3, asked 3× - [Report on road construction in remote Nepal](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Areport-road-construction-remote-nepal) — Communication English, chapter 9 - [Network planning for remote area telephony](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Ftelecommunications%3Anetwork-planning-remote-area) — Telecommunications, chapter 1 - [Case study: Nepal Electricity Authority / Telecom](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Forganization_and_management%3Acase-study-nea-nt) — Organization and Management, chapter 9