Indian cos vie for 1,300MW projects in Nepal

Eleven Indian power companies are among the fourteen international firms which have expressed interest for developing three major projects meant for producing 1,302MW elctricity in Nepal.

The Indian companies vying for the survey licenses are Reliance Energy, GMR Energy, Jindal Steel and Power, Sutlej Jalbidhyut Nigam, Maytas NCC Consortium, JP Associates, Larsen and Tourbo, Bhilwara Energy, National Hydro-electric Project Corporation, KSK Electricity Finance India and Athena Consortium.

The power to be generated in these projects -- 600MW Budhi Gandaki, 402MW Arun III and 300MW Upper Karnali -- would be exported to India, sole buyer of Nepal's hydro power.

A committee formed by Water Resources Ministry commenced work yesterday with a mandate to recommend to the government the awarding of licenses for developing the three projects to foreign companies, joint secretary Anup Upadhyaya said.

Netherlands' Brackel Corporation, China's Sino Hydro Corporation and China National Oversees Engineering Corporation are the three other international companies competing for the projects.

The committee will judge the proposals on the basis of over 20 parameters that includes among other things financial capability, experience, royalty to Nepal, and construction deadline, before deciding on awarding the project.