Operation & maintenance |
Aerial view looking East from Loch Leven towards Kinlochleven in Scotland. Photo by Voith Hydro
A proactive approach
In this industry update, IWP&DC gives an insight into O&M practices in Nepal, and considers the important role such costs play in the financial viability of hydropower schemes
HYDROPOWER HAS BEEN THE cornerstone of Nepal’s power industry for over a century. Currently accounting for more than 94% of total generation, it’s technical and economic potential of 43,000MW is described as “a global hydropower hub for investment opportunities”. However, due to the country’s steep terrain, fragile geological structure, and intense monsoon rainfall, the hydropower sector faces numerous challenges - at the heart of which is the erosion of sediment. As researchers from Kathmandu University recently wrote: “In Nepal, sediment in rivers is a real headache for hydropower turbines, chewing up runners and slashing efficiency far worse than other countries.” And, they add, these inherent operational problems affect the performance of the Nepalese hydropower industry.
Reactive Historically, according to Tandukar et al, hydro turbine
repair and maintenance in Nepal is one of late evolution, characterised by chronic difficulties and a small but evident transition toward local capability development. Early maintenance culture is described as being “reactive” with the example of the Pharping Hydropower Plant which, despite its historical significance and official recognition as a heritage site in 2011, has suffered extreme negligence and degradation over the years. Indeed the research team claims most of Nepal’s ageing hydro plants, such as Phewa, Gandaki, Devighat, Trishuli, Seti, Panauti, Chatara, Puwakhola, and Tinau, operated on a “run-to-break” philosophy – underlining a basic historical practice in which maintenance was usually delayed until breakdown occurred.
26 | February/March 2026 |
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“These power plants utilised rudimentary analogue equipment, relying on operators to record data manually. Though this reactive approach appeared cost-saving in the beginning, it is too frequently equated to catastrophic failures, extended downtimes, and increased expenses related to lost revenue and complicated repairs,” Tandukar et al explain in their study published in Earth and Environmental Science. Insufficient technical skills, weak policy and a lack of institutional support for O&M meant that, without guidelines and proper monitoring, operators lacked the incentive and means to maintain good practices. Despite early innovation, this policy vacuum led to poor working practices, reducing plant life and efficiency, and retarding the development of the industry for generations, the authors claim.
Strategically planned Tandukar et al looked at what’s needed to enhance
repair and maintenance services within the hydropower sector. They say the transition to predictive rather than reactive maintenance, along with the localisation of repair capability, is not a technical but an economic necessity for Nepal’s energy security and sustainability. The researchers’ quantitative analysis shows an optimistic trend in Nepal’s hydropower sector where several actions, including improved O&M practices, are paying dividends. The country is slowly moving towards self-reliance which is being interpreted as a sign of maturity in the technical sphere. Locally available expertise is also helping to cut down costly foreign experts, speed up repair and boost efficiency for
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