KATHMANDU, Nov 1: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is going to make the electricity flowing in the industrial corridors located in Morang and Sunsari districts of Koshi Province reliable. The NEA has claimed to improve the transmission and distribution of current lines, build new lines, upgrade the capacity of substations and proceed with the construction of new substations in order to provide reliable and quality electricity to industrial and other customers in that area.
The industrialists of Morang and Sunsari have been complaining that there is frequent line tripping in industries mainly during summer. To address this, the NEA is improving the old lines and constructing additional lines and substations to reduce the load of the 132 KV substation at Duhabi in Sunsari for power supply in Morang and Sunsari Industrial Corridors.
Since there are substations based on 400, 220, 132 and 33 kV systems in Inaruwa, electricity can be supplied locally from there. Due to this, the existing power supply load at Duhabi Substation will decrease.
Electricity generated from hydropower projects constructed or to be constructed on Arun and Tamor rivers and their tributaries will be connected to the Inaruwa Substation through the Koshi Corridor of 220 kV transmission line.
The electricity produced in the rivers of Taplejung, Panchthar, Ilam districts will reach Damak in Jhapa through the Kabeli Corridor transmission line. Due to this, there is no shortage of resources for electricity supply to that area.
A 132 KV transmission line is being constructed from the Inaruwa Substation to deliver electricity to the substation under construction in Barju Rural Municipality of Sunsari.
Construction of the substation is being delayed due to the poor performance of the joint venture of contractors Shandong Taikai Power Engineering and Mudbhary & Joshi Construction.
Most of the civil structures required to construct the substation equipment have been completed. Most of the substation equipment has also been supplied to the construction site. Kulman Ghising, the managing director of the NEA, recently monitored the construction site and instructed to complete the construction by mid-March next year.
Rakesh Surana, president of Chamber of Industries Morang, was also made to participate in the team to inform about the work being done to solve the problem of electricity supply in the industrial corridor of that area.
“This year, we are making maximum efforts for reliable and quality power supply to the industries operating in Sunsari and Morang. There are many options, we are in a compelling situation to complete the operational plans before the start of summer,” Ghising said, “ If needed, add manpower for this, it is happening locally. To remove the obstacles, the support and cooperation of the local people's representatives, administration, industrialists, etc. is necessary.”
The foundations of 73 out of 80 towers on the 23 km 132 kV transmission line, Inaruwa-Biratnagar, have been laid. Transmission line wire has been supplied. Construction of two towers could not be started due to local obstacles and five towers due to technical problems.
Construction of a 33 kV double circuit line from Inaruwa Substation to Khanar is in the final stage. After the commissioning of this line, the load of Duhabi Substation can be reduced by about 40 MW.