Upper Arun Hydroelectric Project
- Page status
- Working page
- Updated
- 2026-05-12
Summary
Upper Arun is a 1,063.36 MW peaking run-of-river hydropower project in Bhotkhola Rural Municipality, Sankhuwasabha, promoted through Upper Arun Hydro-Electric Limited, an NEA subsidiary.
The project has moved beyond the older FY 2019/20 study-stage description: UAHEL now publishes current project parameters, including rated discharge, rated head, average annual energy, a 400 kV evacuation link to Haitar, and a target schedule that enters construction in 2026 and reaches completion in December 2032.
Specifications
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Project type | Peaking run-of-river |
| Location | Bhotkhola Rural Municipality, Sankhuwasabha District, Koshi Province |
| Installed capacity | 1,063.36 MW, including 2.36 MW eco-flow plant |
| Rated discharge | 235.44 m3/s |
| Rated head | 508.26 m |
| Average annual energy | 4,518 GWh, excluding 18 GWh from eco-flow turbine |
| Minimum peaking | 697 MW for six hours daily at Q95 inflow |
| Main generation units | Six Pelton turbines |
| Evacuation plan | 5.8 km 400 kV double-circuit line to Haitar substation |
| Target construction entry | 2026 |
| Target completion | December 2032 |
Why It Matters
- Upper Arun is a good example of how long the pipeline is between identifying a large Himalayan project and reaching bankable execution.
- It belongs with Arun 3 and Nepal Transmission System — 400 kV Landscape & Cross-Border Plan (2025) because any future Upper Arun build would need both project delivery and corridor evacuation to line up.
- Its peaking design makes it materially different from ordinary run-of-river MW in the Arun basin, though this does not remove financing, access-road, environmental, and evacuation risks.
Limitations & Controversies
Preparation-stage schedule. UAHEL publishes a target construction start in 2026 and target completion in December 2032, but those are project targets rather than evidence of financial closure, PPA execution, or construction commencement.
Corridor dependency. Any future Upper Arun build would need both project delivery and corridor evacuation to line up with Arun 3 infrastructure and the Nepal Transmission System — 400 kV Landscape & Cross-Border Plan (2025) backbone. The project cannot advance independently of these larger system decisions.
Developer-source boundary. The current specifications come from UAHEL's own project page. They should be cross-checked against NEA annual reports, DoED license records, lender documents, and environmental approvals before being treated as final bankable parameters.
See also
- Arun 3
- Nepal Transmission System — 400 kV Landscape & Cross-Border Plan (2025)
- Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA)