Tamor Storage
- Page status
- Working page
- Updated
- 2026-05-13
Summary
Tamor Storage is a 200 MW survey-stage storage hydropower project on the Tamor River in eastern Nepal.
Tamor Storage is a proposed 200 MW storage hydropower project on the Tamor River in eastern Nepal, currently at the survey/study stage.
Storage Value
Storage hydropower is the critical missing piece in Nepal's generation portfolio. Run-of-river projects dominate the fleet — they produce abundant energy during the monsoon but collapse during the dry season when system demand peaks. See Storage Deficit and Seasonal Mismatch.
Tamor Storage, at 200 MW with a reservoir, would provide firm, dispatchable capacity to the eastern grid — the kind of generation that can be scheduled to meet evening peak demand in the dry winter months. This is fundamentally different from the run-of-river model where output is at the mercy of seasonal hydrology.
Development Hurdles
Storage projects in Nepal face three compounding challenges:
- Geology: Dam sites in the young, seismically active Himalaya require extensive investigation
- Resettlement: Reservoirs displace communities, creating political and social costs that run-of-river projects avoid
- Financing: Storage projects have higher capital costs and longer construction timelines, requiring a PPA framework that compensates firm capacity — not just energy (kWh)
The ERC's 2026 directive on reservoir-based power plants attempts to address this by transitioning large projects to a cost-plus determination model, explicitly allowing developers to factor in loan interest, depreciation, and foreign exchange risk. See NEA Triple-Authority Conflict.
System Context
In a system increasingly saturated with monsoon-heavy run-of-river generation, Tamor Storage's value lies not in its annual energy contribution but in its seasonal firmness. A 200 MW reservoir that can deliver into the dry-season evening peak would have outsized system value compared to a 200 MW run-of-river project that adds to the monsoon surplus. See Firm Power and Solar–Hydro Complementarity for the integrated portfolio argument.
Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 200 MW |
| Status | Survey / study |
| Registry licence | Survey |
| River | Tamor (eastern Koshi Basin) |
| District | Panchthar |
| Province | Province No 1 |
Limitations & Controversies
The page describes the project from registry and IPSDP context and does not confirm a final dam design, reservoir boundary, resettlement footprint, financing model, tariff treatment, or construction timeline.