KATHMANDU, Nov 27: The Basantpur substation constructed in Dharmadevi Municipality of Sankhuwasabha under the Koshi Corridor 220 kilovolt (KV) transmission line project has come into operation. The 220/132/33 kV capacity Basantpur substation built at an altitude of 2,450 meters above sea level has been officially charged and brought into operation by the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).
Under the project, Sunsari's Inaruwa and Sankhuwasabha's Tumlingtar and Baneshwar 220 KV substations have been operational since the month of Shrawan (mid-July to mid-August) last year. For the construction of substations, a contract was signed with the Indian company L&T in Ashad (mid-June to mid-July) 2075 BS for 26.1 million US dollars.
Kulman Ghising, the managing director of NEA, said that the infrastructure serves as the backbone for transmitting and distributing electricity from private sector hydropower projects in Taplejung, Tehrathum, Sankhuwasabha, and Bhojpur districts of Koshi Province.
"Since the hydropower projects are yet to be constructed, the 220 kV line must operate at a reduced capacity,” Ghising said, "The electricity generated in the hilly districts of Koshi Province will be supplied to Morang and Sunsari districts through the Inaruwa substation, enhancing voltage and reliable and quality power supply.”
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The Basantpur substation will receive electricity from Tumlingtar and Taplejung's Dhunge Sanghu substation. A 220 kV double circuit tower has been constructed from Basantpur to Inaruwa Substation in Bhokraha Narsingh Rural Municipality of Sunsari, and the line has been put into operation by pulling the wire on only one side of the tower.
The construction of one 220kKV double circuit transmission line from Basantpur to Tumlingtar via Baneshwar has been completed. The length of the Inaruwa-Basantpur-Tumlingtar transmission line is 105 kilometers. A double circuit tower has been constructed, while currently only a single circuit wire pulling line has been brought into operation.
Under the Koshi Corridor 220 KV transmission line project, substations and transmission lines have been constructed at Tumlingtar, Basantpur, and Baneshwar with the investment of the Government of Nepal and the concessional loan of the Export-Import (Exim) Bank of the Government of India.
The electricity generated from the hydropower projects that are being built on the Arun and Tamor rivers and their tributaries will be connected to the Inaruwa substation through the Koshi Corridor 220 KV transmission line.
The Koshi Corridor has been constructed to connect the electricity of the hydropower projects to be built in Bhojpur, Sankhuwasabha, Tehrathum, and Taplejung in the Koshi Province to the national transmission line.
Basantpur-Dhungesanghu (Taplejung) section transmission line under the Koshi corridor and 132 kV substation at Dhungesanghu are currently under construction. Out of the 128 towers on the 34 km double circuit transmission line, only six towers are left to be constructed. Work is underway with the aim of completing the 26 km transmission line of one circuit by the coming month of Magh (mid-January to mid-February).
The contract has been signed for the construction of another circuit of the Basantpur-Dhungesanghu 220 transmission line and the work has already started. The work being done with the investment of the Government of Nepal and the NEA is set to be completed by the coming Falgun (mid-February to mid-March).
The construction of the Dhungesanghu substation is 95 percent complete. The transmission line will connect the 73/73 MW Middle Tamor and Middle Mewa Khola hydropower projects which are in the final stage of construction in Taplejung.
The Koshi Corridor 220 KV transmission line project, estimated at 112 million US dollars, received investments from the Government of Nepal and received a concessional loan of USD 90 million from the Exim Bank of the Government of India.
The corridor has the capacity to transmit approximately 1000 megawatts from Tumlingtar to Basantpur, another 1000 megawatts from Dhungesanghu to Basantpur, and approximately 2000 megawatts from Basantpur to Inaruwa. Koshi Corridor is the longest 220 kV transmission line in Nepal so far.
