DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR HEADWORKS OF HYDROPOWER PROJECTS

3. METHODOLOGY

3.1 GENERAL
The preparation of design guidelines presented in Volume II of this report was carried
out in accordance with the Terms of Reference provided by DoED. The methodology
used by the Consultant for this purpose is described in this chapter.

3.2 PHASES OF WORK

The consulting services for preparation of the guidelines were executed in three distinct
phases, namely:
 Inception Phase;
 Field Investigation Phase;
 Documentation Phase.
Brief descriptions of the activities performed in each phase are presented in the following
sections.

3.3 INCEPTION PHASE

In the Inception Phase, the Consultant conducted an extensive literature survey to
identify potential sources of reference on international engineering practices related to
headworks of run-of-river hydropower projects. To establish a basis for incorporating the
Nepali context in the guidelines, the Consultant also explored the availability of
literature, data and information on Nepali hydropower projects through visits to libraries
and discussions with officials of concerned organizations.
3.3.1 Collection of Standard Norms and Guidelines
In the Inception Phase, the Consultant identified international and national agencies
whose standards, norms and guidelines on headworks could form the basis for the
proposed headworks guidelines for Nepal. For this purpose, attention was focused on the
following types of agencies:
 Institutions that have pioneered, and /or are presently involved in, the fundamental
research and development on issues related to planning and investigation, design,
construction, operation and maintenance of headworks;

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 Institutions that have adapted the fundamental research of pioneering institutions to

regions with topographical, hydrological, meteorological, sedimentological and
geological conditions similar to those of Nepal.
 Institutions responsible for developing acts, rules, legislations and guidelines on
hydropower and environment related issues in Nepal.
Based on these criteria, the institutions listed below were identified as potential sources
of basic information for the development of the headworks guidelines:
 Bureau of Reclamation, United States Department of the Interior;
 United States Army Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army;
 American Concrete Institute;
 Indian Standards Institute;
 Department of Electricity Development, Ministry of Water Resources, GoN;
 Water and Energy Commission Secretariat, Ministry of Water Resources, GoN;
Subsequently, the Consultant collected and screened the list of publications of the
identified institutions to select documents relevant to the preparation of the guidelines. A
list of these documents is presented in Appendix I of the report.
3.3.2 Collection of National and International Literature
Apart from standards, norms and guidelines, the Consultant also collected relevant
literature published by international and national institutions actively working in the
hydropower sector. These institutions include the following:
 Bureau of Reclamation, United States Department of the Interior;
 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, United States of America;
 American Society of Civil Engineer;
 Japanese National Committee on Large Dams;
 Norwegian Institute of Technology, Norway.
In addition, the Consultant collected literature on headworks published by individuals,
including renowned international and national personalities. The publications of
individuals and the above-mentioned institutions referred to for the preparation of the
guidelines are listed in Appendix I.
3.3.3 Collection of Information on Nepali Hydropower Projects
In order to collect documentation on Nepali hydropower or related projects, the
Consultant collected relevant documents the following technical libraries in Kathmandu:
 Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS), Ministry of Water Resources,
GoN.
 Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).
 Institute of Engineering, Pulchowk Campus, Tribhuwan University.
The Consultant also held meetings with officials of organizations responsible for
developing and operating hydropower projects in Nepal. These organizations included:
a. Nepal Electricity Authority
b. Bhote Koshi Power Company Pvt. Ltd.
c. Butwal Power Company Ltd.
d. National Hydro Power Company Ltd.

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e. Himal Power Company Ltd.

3.4 FIELD INVESTIGATION PHASE

In order to integrate typical Nepali conditions in the guidelines, the Consultant studied
six operational and one under-construction run-of-river hydropower projects of Nepal.
The criteria for selection of these projects, the study methodology and the outcome of the
study are reported in the following sections.
3.4.1 Selection of Projects
The Consultant selected the study projects after careful consideration of factors such as
the nature, scale, age, engineering, facilities, mode of development, etc. of Nepali run-of-
river projects. According, the following projects were selected for study:
a. Upper Bhote Koshi Hydroelectric Project;
b. Sun Koshi Hydroelectric Project;
c. Kali Gandaki “A” Hydroelectric Project;
d. Adhi Khola Hydroelectric Project;
e. Modi Khola Hydroelectric Project;
f. Middle Marsyangdi Hydroelectric Project;
g. Marsyangdi Hydroelectric Project.
Of these projects, the Upper Bhote Koshi HEP is a new, medium scale project
constructed and operated by the private sector, while the Sun Koshi HEP is one of the
oldest hydropower projects in Nepal and has experienced some unusual events, such as
Glacial Lake Outburst Flow (GLOF) and Cloud Outburst Flow (CLOF), in its life time.
The Kali Gandaki “A” HEP is the largest hydropower project of Nepal that has been
recently completed and has the distinction of being well engineered and instrumented.
On the other hand, the Adhi Khola HEP, another private sector project, represents a
small scale, mid-aged project with basic conventional facilities. The Modi Khola HEP is
also a recent medium scale development with detailed engineering. Prior to the Kali
Gandaki “A” HEP, the Marsyangdi HEP was Nepal’s largest run-of-river project with
several years of successful operation behind it. Likewise, the Middle Marsyangdi HEP is
presently the largest, well investigated and engineered under-construction project in
Nepal.
3.4.2 Collection and Review of Project Information
Prior to the field visits, the Consultant collected and reviewed available documents on
the selected projects to acquaint itself with these projects. These documents included
recent annual publications by NEA on its operational and under-construction projects as
well as feasibility reports, project upgrading studies, tender design and detailed design
reports, design basis memorandums, etc. on the selected projects. Based on the review,
the study team prepared a list of project-specific inquiries that could be relevant to the
guidelines.
3.4.3 Questionnaire for Information Collection
Based on the review of project documents and the specific requirements of the
guidelines, the Consultant prepared a comprehensive questionnaire to facilitate collection
of necessary data and information from the selected projects during the visits. This
questionnaire was designed to seek information on the following aspects of the projects:
a. General features;
b. Project hydrology;

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c. Headworks, including dam, intake and desander;

d. Construction, including river diversion, problems due to flood / river diversion,
foundations, excavation and slope stability, waste disposal and environmental issues,
safety issues, etc.;
e. Operation and maintenance of dam/barrage/weir, intake structures and desanders.
Hard copies and electronic copies of this questionnaire were provided to the project
owners with the request to complete and return them, along with available reports and
drawings, to the Consultant as early as possible
3.4.4 Compilation and Analysis of Project Information
The information obtained on the different projects through reports and field visits were
compiled and analyzed by the Consultant. The results of these studies were presented in
the Interim Report submitted by the Consultant to DoED. The results are also
summarized in Chapter 4 of this report.

3.5 DOCUMENTATION PHASE

In the Documentation Phase, the Consultant conducted a detailed study of the collected
literature, data and information and prepared the design guidelines.
3.5.1 Detailed Study of Existing Literature
As a first step towards preparation of the guidelines, the Consultant critically analyzed
the collected information to determine its relevance and suitability to the design,
construction, operation and maintenance of headworks for hydropower projects in the
Nepal. The data and information was systematically screened, processed and
documented for use in subsequent works.
3.5.2 Preparation of Draft Guidelines
With the necessary groundwork ready, the Consultant initiated the process of preparing
the guidelines. Drafts of the different parts of the guidelines were prepared by the
concerned experts of the Consultant’s team. These drafts were reviewed by the Team
Leader and other team members to ensure adequate coverage and consistency. During
this process, several revisions were made to the drafts. The resulting guidelines were
submitted to DoED in June 2006 as Volume II of the Draft Report.
3.5.3 Workshop
As required by the Terms of Reference for the consulting services, the Consultant held a
three-day residential workshop from July 2 to 4, 2006, at Nagarkot, Bhaktapur, to discuss
the Draft Report with experts from related fields. A total of 54 experts from different
government departments, public and private sector organizations, academic institutes and
professional organizations participated in the workshop. A list of participants is attached
in Appendix II of the report.
During the workshop, the members of the Consultant’s team briefed the participants on
the guidelines (Photo 3-1). Thereafter, the participants were divided into the six groups
to discuss their respective sections and provide their comments and suggestions on these
sections (Photo 3-2). After one and a half days of intense discussions, the groups
presented their comments and suggestions on the Draft Report (Photo 3-3). These
comments were documented and incorporated in the Draft Final Report submitted by the
Consultant to DoED.

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3.5.4 Preparation of Final Report

After DoED’s review on the Draft Final Report, the guidelines presented with the Draft
Final Report were finalized, incorporating the comments and suggestions of DoED, and
the Final Report for the consulting services was prepared. Electronic copies of this report
are also being submitted to DoED with this report. After approval of the report, the
guidelines will be submitted to DoED in book binding form.

Photo 3-1: Presentation by Consultant

Photo 3-2: Group discussions

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Photo 3-3: Presentations by group members

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