Timor-Leste : Gariuai Mini-Hydropower Rehabilitation Project (ADB-59265-002)

Regions
  • East Asia and Pacific
Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.
Countries
  • Timor-Leste
Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.
Specific Location
Gariuai
Whenever identified, the area within countries where the impacts of the investment may be experienced. Exact locations of projects may not be identified fully or at all in project documents. Please review updated project documents and community-led assessments.
Financial Institutions
  • Asian Development Bank (ADB)
International, regional and national development finance institutions. Many of these banks have a public interest mission, such as poverty reduction.
Project Status
Proposed
Stage of the project cycle. Stages vary by development bank and can include: pending, approval, implementation, and closed or completed.
Bank Risk Rating
B
Environmental and social categorization assessed by the development bank as a measure of the planned project’s environmental and social impacts. A higher risk rating may require more due diligence to limit or avoid harm to people and the environment. For example, "A" or "B" are risk categories where "A" represents the highest amount of risk. Results will include projects that specifically recorded a rating, all other projects are marked ‘U’ for "Undisclosed."
Borrower
Government of Timor-Leste
A public entity (government or state-owned) provided with funds or financial support to manage and/or implement a project.
Sectors
  • Energy
  • Hydropower
  • Law and Government
The service or industry focus of the investment. A project can have several sectors.
Investment Type(s)
Grant
The categories of the bank investment: loan, grant, guarantee, technical assistance, advisory services, equity and fund.
Investment Amount (USD)
Not Disclosed
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Other Related Projects
Primary Source

Original disclosure @ ADB website

Updated in EWS Jan 15, 2026

Disclosed by Bank Oct 14, 2025

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Project Description
If provided by the financial institution, the Early Warning System Team writes a short summary describing the purported development objective of the project and project components. Review the complete project documentation for a detailed description.

As stated on the project disclosure page, in 2023, an initial assessment for rehabilitating the Gariuai Mini Hydroelectric Power Plant (MHPP) was conducted under ADB TA6813 TIM: Capacity Building of Electricidade de Timor-Leste in Distribution Network Operation and Maintenance by a Hydropower Specialist. This included a survey of the latest condition of the MHPP and the preparation of terms of reference for the rehabilitation.

The proposed project will conduct a detailed technical feasibility assessment of the MHPP and undertake the following (but not limited to) rehabilitation works, as needed:

  • Hydrology studies and e-flows;
  • Civil structural investigation and improvement, including the replacement of the penstock and anchor points;
  • Hydromechanical and electromechanical components examination and replacement to ensure system efficiency and reliability;
  • Replacement of power evacuation lines, protection equipment, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) upgrades, automatic voltage regulator, and remote communication equipment;
  • Detailed geological studies to assess landslide risks and propose mitigation measures.

ADB will support EDTL in preparing and supervising the engineering design, construction, and subsequent operation and maintenance (O&M) of the rehabilitated power plant. The project will incorporate a capacity-building program for EDTL, ensuring knowledge transfer throughout project implementation to enable the sustainable operation of the plant after the O&M period expires, supporting the utility develop future hydropower projects. This project may include training in project design, management, administration, safety protocols, and O&M.

Furthermore, the project will support an update of the 2011 Hydropower Master Plan, which was developed with Norwegian grant assistance and identified 14 economically viable hydropower projects, designed to generate power during both the dry and wet seasons. Given that the master plan was developed over a decade ago, an update is necessary to reassess project feasibility and align with the latest developments in Timor-Leste's power system and recent hydrology information.

Early Warning System Project Analysis
For a project with severe or irreversible impacts to local community and natural resources, the Early Warning System Team may conduct a thorough analysis regarding its potential impacts to human and environmental rights.

The ADB categorized the project E&S risk as follows:

Environment - B;
Involuntary Resettlement - C;
Indigenous Peoples - C.
Investment Description
Here you can find a list of individual development financial institutions that finance the project.

Information on the investment amount was not provided at the time of disclosure.


Contact Information
This section aims to support the local communities and local CSO to get to know which stakeholders are involved in a project with their roles and responsibilities. If available, there may be a complaint office for the respective bank which operates independently to receive and determine violations in policy and practice. Independent Accountability Mechanisms receive and respond to complaints. Most Independent Accountability Mechanisms offer two functions for addressing complaints: dispute resolution and compliance review.

ADB Team Leaders:

Daniel Miller - Senior Energy Specialist 

No contacts provided at the time of disclosure.

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF ADB

The Accountability Mechanism is an independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who believe they are likely to be, or have been, adversely affected by an Asian Development Bank-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the Accountability Mechanism, they may investigate to assess whether the Asian Development Bank is following its own policies and procedures for preventing harm to people or the environment. You can learn more about the Accountability Mechanism and how to file a complaint at: http://www.adb.org/site/accountability-mechanism/main

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