Mai Beni

Assessment overview

Mai Beni is a 9.51 MW run-of-river project located on the Mai Khola river in the Ilam province of Nepal. The project was assessed in operation stage using the Hydropower Sustainability Standard by a team of international and Nepali assessors.

The assessment found that the project met the HS Standard’s minimum and advanced requirements and is eligible for Gold certification. The small size of the Mai Beni project, and its location in the middle of a pre-existing series of small run-of-river hydropower plants, makes for a very limited environmental and biodiversity impact. The project has effective processes for managing and monitoring environmental, water quality and sedimentation impacts, including beyond those impacts caused by the facility. With the support from IFC, the project has implemented sound procedures and plans related to governance and procurement, stakeholder engagement, gender issues and biodiversity.

The project closely collaborates with communities and local authorities, taking proactive steps towards community engagement and benefits including fair land and residence compensation and employment opportunities for directly affected households, responsive approach to additional support requests and providing medical supplies during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mai Beni has made plans to seek ISO 14001 ESMS certification, implement a livelihood-improvement programme for Indigenous Peoples and the projected affected families, monitor and manage emerging water quality issues, and update the Hydrological Resources study.