Tanahu Hydropower Project Status (ADB, 2024–2026)

Summary

Reference compilation for the 140 MW Tanahu Hydropower Project's construction progress and social-compliance posture, drawn from ADB's own project monitoring reports, two Accountability Mechanism complaints (2024 and 2025), and a later public construction-progress update.

Key Data Points

Installed: 140 MW reservoir-type plant
River: Seti (Gandaki basin)
District: Tanahu
Owner: Nepal Electricity Authority
Financier: Asian Development Bank (primary), co-financiers
Main civil works: 140 m high roller-compacted-concrete dam (Package-1), underground powerhouse (Package-2), main water conveyance tunnel
Status (FY 2024/25): ~67% complete per NEA annual report
Latest public progress check (April 2026): roughly 75% complete per Tanahu Hydropower Progress Update (April 2026)
ADB monitoring visit: December 2024 — flagged buffer-zone demarcation, public-land acquisition and construction pace as open issues

Accountability Mechanism complaints

2024 complaint: demarcation of buffer zones, free prior informed consent, land-for-land compensation, untitled-land registration
2025 complaint: filed 18 Feb 2025, deemed eligible for review 4 Apr 2025

Relevance to Project

Primary source for Tanahu's status, design basics and the unusually well-documented compliance issues that shape its completion schedule. The Accountability Mechanism filings are the reason Tanahu's delays are public and auditable — most Nepali storage projects lack that transparency layer.

What This Source Does Not Cover

Dry-season energy contribution once the reservoir is in operation
Plant-level cost escalation numbers (ADB figures redact subsidiary contractor detail)
Coordination with downstream irrigation users on the Seti

Limitations

Compilation, not primary project documents. Drawn from ADB monitoring reports and Accountability Mechanism filings — does not include the full PAD, EIA, or contractor progress reports.
Construction progress is time-sensitive. The ~67% completion figure is from the NEA FY 2024/25 annual report; the ~75% figure is a later public update and should be refreshed before final publication or narration lock.
Accountability Mechanism complaints are unresolved. Two complaints (2024 and 2025) are filed and eligible for review but not yet adjudicated. Their resolution may affect project timeline and cost.