Thank you for visiting the West Seti Hydro web page. 

Our objective is to ensure that stakeholders, commentators, analysts and other interested parties are well informed on the development of the West Seti Hydroelectric project. 

West Seti is a world-class project that incorporates the highest standards of engineering practice and environmental protocols.

The project sponsor is SMEC Developments Pty Ltd, a member of the SMEC Group of Australia.

SMEC is one of Australia’s leading engineering consulting firms, with operations in over 50 countries.

SMEC was born from Australia’s largest infrastructure project, the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme, and has grown into a multi-disciplinary engineering and development consultancy firm that consistently ranks in the world’s top 100 international engineering design firms.

The West Seti project will make a major contribution to poverty alleviation in Nepal. 

The project will:

• Create 3,400 new local jobs in the peak project development period
• Inject US$ 1.12 billion into Nepal’s economy during its 30 years licence period
• Create international standard infrastructure in the Seti region
• Enhance housing, land quality and village services for resettled families
• Raise Nepal’s attractiveness as a foreign investment location
• Create opportunities for follow-on infrastructure developments.

There are no other projects under active consideration in Nepal that can match the benefits that will flow to the people of Nepal from the West Seti project.

International and local experts have undertaken extensive studies into the environmental and social impact of the project over the past 10 years.

These assessments demonstrate the positive returns that will accrue to Nepal with minimal negative impact.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) joined the project consortium in 2006 with the intention of becoming a provider of equity, debt financing and guarantees.

The ADB is carefully assessing economic and social issues and is applying a high level of scrutiny to all components of the project, notably environmental and social issues.

International standards have been continuously applied to all features of the West Seti project. Indeed, any project of this scale will not attract external support such as financing or insurance unless rigid international project criteria and protocols have been followed.

A world scale project such as West Seti will position Nepal as a favourable destination for foreign investment for a range of additional projects, both in hydropower and other industries.

Realisation of the West Seti project will demonstrate that Nepal has the legislative and regulatory infrastructure to deliver quality, socially responsible world-scale projects.

India’s continuing high growth rates and the accompanying power deficits provides Nepal with a unique opportunity to provide Northern India with competitive energy supplies while ensuring that the economic and social returns to the Nepalese people are maximised.

SMEC appreciates the sensitivities of developing major infrastructure projects in developing countries.