Lower Badigad
- Page status
- Working page
- Updated
- 2026-05-13
Lower Badigad is a 380.3 MW JICA promising-storage candidate in the Gandaki basin. It is pinned in Layer: Storage Shortlist because it pairs large carryover storage with meaningful dry-season output, making it more relevant to system value than many larger wet-season-heavy projects.
Summary
Lower Badigad is a 380.3 MW JICA promising-storage candidate in the Gandaki basin. It is pinned in the storage shortlist for its large carryover storage (995.9 MCM total, 505.5 MCM effective) and meaningful dry-season output (354.7 GWh, 26.0% dry share). The page tracks it as a planning-layer storage comparator using the current JICA/NEA source set.
Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 380.3 MW |
| Status | Survey / study |
| Category | jica promising storage |
| Basin | Gandaki (Gandaki Basin) |
| Annual energy | 1366.0 GWh |
| Dry-season energy | 354.7 GWh |
| Dry share | 26.0% |
| Total storage | 995.9 MCM |
| Effective storage | 505.5 MCM |
Storage
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total storage | 995.9 MCM |
| Effective storage | 505.5 MCM |
Output
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual design energy | 1366.0 GWh |
| Dry-season energy | 354.7 GWh |
| Dry-season share | 26.0 % |
| Type | Storage |
Sources
Why It Matters
Lower Badigad is one of the stronger Gandaki storage candidates in the shortlist: 995.9 MCM total storage, 505.5 MCM effective storage, and 354.7 GWh of dry-season energy. Its dry share is lower than Nalsyau Gad or Dudhkoshi, but the reservoir scale is large enough that it remains important for seasonal regulation.
Its strategic role is also geographic. The Gandaki basin is already a central hydropower corridor, and storage in that basin has a different grid value than remote far-western storage. Lower Badigad belongs in the wiki because it is a credible comparator to Tanahu Hydropower Project, Kali Gandaki A, and other Gandaki assets.
Status And Timing
Lower Badigad is a planning candidate from the JICA/NEA storage material, not an under-construction project. The IPSDP milestone ladder groups Lower Badigad STO in the 2031-2035 window. Treat that as a planning horizon rather than a confirmed construction-start date.
The next evidence to watch is whether the project advances from storage-master-plan candidate to a named developer, updated feasibility package, environmental assessment, financing plan, and grid-connection commitment.
Map Interpretation
The map marker is a river-aligned project reference. It is appropriate for comparing storage candidates and basin leverage, but not for property-level impact analysis.
Registry note
- JICA/NEA storage master plan volume 2
Limitations & Controversies
The current page is strongest on master-plan and shortlist context. It does not independently verify feasibility-study details, environmental and social assessment, financing plan, grid-connection commitment, or construction timeline beyond the existing source set. The IPSDP milestone window (2031–2035) is a planning horizon, not a confirmed construction-start date. Map markers are river-aligned references, not site-grade boundaries.