About Arun-3 Hydroelectric Project:
- It is a 900 MW run-of-the-river hydropower project being developed on the Arun River in the Sankhuwasabha District of Eastern Nepal.
- Arun is a tributary of the Koshi River in Nepal.
- It envisages a concrete gravity dam and a Head Race Tunnel (HRT) of 11.74 km with an underground power house containing four generating units of 225 MW each on the left bank.
- Once completed, it will be the biggest hydroelectric facility in Nepal.
- It is being developed on a build-own-operate and transfer (BOOT) basis by Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) Arun 3 Power Development Company (SAPDC), a joint venture of the Government of India and the Government of Himachal Pradesh.
- SAPDC will operate the facility for a period of 25 years, excluding the construction period of five years, before transferring ownership to the Nepal government.
- Nepal will receive 21.9% of the electricity generated at the power plant as free power during these initial 25 years of commercial operations.
- The project will provide surplus power to India, strengthening economic linkages with Nepal.
- The power from the project shall be exported from Dhalkebar in Nepal to Muzaffarpur in India.
