Construction of 28.3 MW Middle Chameliya Hydropower Project Set to Begin in Darchula

Sudurpashchim Province is expanding its renewable energy capacity as preparations begin for the construction of a new 28.30 megawatt hydropower plant on the Chameliya River. Promoted by Darchula Power Company, the Middle Chameliya Hydropower Project will be located in Marma Rural Municipality of Darchula district, situated within the protected Api Nampa Conservation Area.

The project has reached several key regulatory and financial milestones to pave the way for development.The Department of Electricity Development granted the generation license for the run-of-river project in March 2025. Following an initial Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval in March 2024, developer Chameliya Power Limited secured permission to conduct a Supplementary EIA to assess minor layout revisions and structural relocations on the river's left bank.The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Environment recently issued a public notice requesting feedback on the supplementary study.

Commercial preparations for the plant are already in place.The developer signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the state-owned Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) in October 2023 and completed financial closure in June 2025. All electricity generated by the project will be fed directly into the national grid via the NEA's nearby Balach Substation.

Located approximately 30 kilometers northwest of Gokuleshwar, the plant will operate between two existing projects on the same river, athe 40 MW Upper Chameliya project upstream and the 30 MW Chameliya Khola project downstream.Once operational, the Middle Chameliya plant is projected to supply 118.52 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity during the wet season and 67.10 GWh during the dry season.

With an estimated total investment of NPR 6.23 billion (approx. Rs 6.236 billion), construction is targeted for completion within three years.