KATHMANDU, Sept 23:With elimination of load-shedding, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has now shifted its focus on construction of transmission line and substations across the country for smooth power supply.
The NEA has started construction of transmission lines and substations to supply sufficient power to factories currently operating and are about to come into operation in Rupandehi and Nawalparasi districts.
According to the state-owned utility, the undergoing Butwal-Lumbini 132 KV Transmission Line and Mainhiya 132/33/11 KV Substation projects have achieved 45% physical progress. The transmission line between Yogikuti substation of Rupandehi to Mainhiya substation of Nawalparasi is 18 kilometers long. A two-kilometer section of the transmission line will remain under the ground. There will be a total of 57 pylons.
The project is being built with an aim of providing quality and dependable power supply to consumers and factories, as well as controlling power leakage and enhancing transmission capacity, according to the NEA.
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Similarly, the physical progress of Bardaghat Saradi 132 KV Transmission Line Project, which will supply power to Hongshi Shiva Cement, is at 45%. The 20-kilometer transmission line will have 67 pylons. Foundation for 47 pylons has already been prepared. Similarly, the upgradation of Bardaghat substation is at its last leg, according to the NEA.
NEA hopes that both the projects will be completed over the next six months. According to the power utility, most of the land required for the project has been acquired and right of way cleared, while construction materials have transported to the site.
Kul Man Ghising, managing director of NEA visited the project sites on Friday and Saturday. After the site visit, he directed officials of the contractor companies to complete Butwal-Lumbini transmission line by January 2020 and Mainhiya substation by December 2019.
Responding to Ghising, contractor companies have expressed commitment to complete the projects within the given timeframe.
“We will make construction site available to the contractors after resolving problems related to land acquisition and use of forest land,” Ghising said. “Add manpower, if needed, to complete the projects on time. If you complete the work on time, we will felicitate you. But if your work is delayed, we will take needful action,” he added.
He also said that power demand in the area will increase by 200 MW while power leakage will come down by 5 percent once the transmission line and substation projects are completed.
Ghising also met with Mayor of Bardaghat Municipality, Dhiraj Sharma, and requested the local body to facilitate in construction of the two projects.
The transmission line is being built as per the announcement of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies to arrange power supply to mega industries. In the absence of power supply, Hongshi Shivam Cement, which is a joint venture between Nepali and Chinese companies, has been producing cement using diesel plants. The industry alone needs 80 MW of electricity.
Likewise, construction of 220 KV transmission line from Bharatpur of Chitwan to Bardaghat of Nawalparasi is also going on. Of the 246 pylons, 151 have already been erected.
