In September 2025, the Urban Transit Engineering Company officially commenced construction of its third major project in Nepal—the 9.142-kilometer diversion tunnel for the Tamor Hydropower Station. The project forms part of the largest privately developed hydropower project currently under construction in Nepal, with a total installed capacity of 285 megawatts. It also represents the company’s first purely commercial power generation project in the country.
The successful launch of the project marks a major breakthrough in the company’s overseas operations, extending its business portfolio from traditional government-funded infrastructure projects into the private energy sector. It also demonstrates the strong recognition and confidence that the Nepalese hydropower market places in CREC’s TBM technology and engineering services.
Over the past decade, three landmark projects have taken root in Nepal. The Urban Transit Engineering Company has not only overcome formidable geological challenges through advanced engineering expertise, but has also strengthened the bonds of friendship between China and Nepal through responsible corporate citizenship. During the past ten years, the company has consistently promoted localization by creating substantial employment opportunities for local communities while establishing a management model tailored to Nepal’s market. It has developed a comprehensive local talent cultivation system covering the entire project lifecycle, accumulated extensive TBM construction and management experience under a wide range of complex geological conditions, and built a mature, full-industry-chain construction capability. More than 600 local professionals have received specialized training in TBM operation, electromechanical maintenance and construction management, with many local employees advancing from frontline workers to key management positions. The company has also actively fulfilled its social responsibilities by rehabilitating more than 10 kilometers of rural roads, drilling over 30 drinking water wells, donating educational supplies to village schools, and participating in public welfare activities including wildfire suppression and emergency road rescue.
From breaking through overseas engineering “no-go zones” to repeatedly setting new global industry records; from establishing a strong presence in government-led infrastructure to expanding into the private energy sector, the Urban Transit Engineering Company of China Railway No.2 Group has, over the past decade, built bridges through tunneling, demonstrated excellence through technology, and earned trust through integrity. Today, the “CREC TBM” brand stands prominently on the southern slopes of the Himalayas as a symbol of Chinese engineering excellence and China–Nepal cooperation.
