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Budhigandaki Hydroelectric Project

A proposed 1,200 MW storage project with active company notices but unresolved financing, resettlement and construction-readiness evidence.

Page status
Working page
Updated
2026-07-10
Last reviewed
2026-11-04
Review due
2027-02-04

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Figure 6.3-17 River Longitudinal Profile of the Budhi Gandaki River
Figure 6.3-17 River Longitudinal Profile of the Budhi Gandaki River

Summary

A proposed 1,200 MW reservoir storage project on the border of Gorkha and Dhading districts in the Gandaki Basin. BGJCL's current public record gives a 263 m dam and 3,338 GWh of annual design energy and shows active procurement notices. Those notices demonstrate pre-construction activity, not construction commencement or financial close.

Specifications

Parameter Value
Capacity 1,200 MW
Status Pre-construction; active procurement notices
River Budhi Gandaki (Gandaki Basin)
Districts Gorkha / Dhading

Engineering

A 263 m double-curvature arch dam — Nepal's largest planned dam structure — with a reservoir volume of 3.3 km³. This is a different engineering class from every operating plant in Nepal's fleet. The reservoir area (63 km²) and displacement footprint (8,117 households) make this as much a social infrastructure project as a hydropower one. See Sediment as Design Constraint for the engineering challenges of a dam on the sediment-heavy Gandaki system.

Parameter Value
Dam height 263 m
Dam type Double-curvature Arch
Reservoir area ~63 km²
Total storage 3,300 MCM
Type Storage / Reservoir

Output

BGJCL's current public project page gives 3,338 GWh of annual energy. Earlier wiki records used 3,380 GWh and a 1,410 GWh dry-season value; the annual total has been aligned to the current official page, while the seasonal split remains a historical design figure pending a direct DPR or company source.

Parameter Value
Annual design energy 3,338 GWh current BGJCL figure
Historical alternate 3,380 GWh
Dry-season split Requires direct current design source

Financial

The current BGJCL notices do not establish a complete financing package, executed PPA or financial close. Earlier debt/equity, tariff, revenue and total-cost figures are treated as historical proposals until their underlying approved documents are ingested.

Parameter Value
Financial close Not established
Executed PPA Not established in current source set

Governance

The current project company is Budhigandaki Jalbidhyut Company Limited. Historical developer and investment-modality proposals should be read as dated governance events rather than assumed current financing terms.

Parameter Value
Developer Budhigandaki Jalbidhyut Company Limited

Schedule

BGJCL was publishing procurement notices in June and July 2026, including a letter of intent on 8 July. The public record does not yet establish a firm construction-start or commercial-operation date.

Parameter Value
Construction start Not established in current primary record
Commercial operation Not established in current primary record

Current Status and Performance Provenance

As of 10 July 2026: pre-construction with active company and procurement activity. Construction readiness remains dependent on a complete financing package, resettlement/compensation evidence and major-works procurement.

Dimension Current position Evidence
Technical basis 1,200 MW; 263 m dam; 3,338 GWh annual energy BGJCL project page
Procurement Letter of intent and financial-bid notices published BGJCL notices
Finance Full package and financial close not established Current evidence gap
Construction Not established as commenced 10 Jul 2026 verification

Recent Updates

Date Update
8 Jul 2026 BGJCL published a letter-of-intent notice
23–30 Jun 2026 BGJCL published financial-bid opening notices and an addendum

Active Blockers

Blocker Prevents Required evidence
Complete financing package is not public Financial close and major construction Approved financing agreements and effectiveness
Current compensation/resettlement completion is not established Construction readiness Project-company or government implementation disclosure
Exact design figures differ across public records Stable public specification baseline Current approved DPR/salient-features document

Limitations & Controversies

  • Evidence coverage. The current official site is strong for headline design and procurement notices but thin on a consolidated, current financing and resettlement dashboard.
  • Design reconciliation. Public annual-energy figures include 3,338 and 3,380 GWh; the current company figure is used here, with the older value preserved as a discrepancy.
  • Social footprint. Historical sources report a large land and resettlement programme, but the current completion percentage and household totals require direct implementation reporting before being repeated as current facts.
  • Seismic and sediment exposure. A 263 m Himalayan arch dam requires project-specific seismic, sediment and dam-safety evidence. See Sediment as Design Constraint and Buildability.
  • Procurement is not construction. A letter of intent or bid-opening notice shows administrative progress but does not establish notice to proceed, mobilisation or physical completion.

Why It Matters

If built, Budhigandaki would not just add generation — it would change the economic character of Nepal's electricity system. It addresses Storage Deficit, Seasonal Mismatch, and Firm Power simultaneously. The revenue difference from shifting monsoon water to dry-season generation at higher prices makes storage an economic optimization instrument, not just infrastructure.

Map Assets

Related

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