Substation construction reaches final stage

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Mar. 25: The construction of two substations under the Marsyangdi Corridor 220 kV transmission line project has reached its final stage.

Under the project, the construction of New Bharatpur substation in Chitwan and Udipur 220 kV substation in Lamjung has reached the final stage, according to the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). Bharatpur substation is scheduled for completion by April and Udipur substation by June.

Under the project, 220 kV substations are under construction at Khudi in Lamjung and Dharapani in Manang.

The target is to complete the construction of Khudi substation within the next six months, while the construction of Dharapani substation is expected to take some time.

According to the NEA, it will take some time for the construction of Dharapani substation as there are problems with the access road to transport equipment to the substation construction site, which is geographically difficult. The land acquisition process required for the construction of the access road has been started.

The pre-operational test work is being done at the new Bharatpur substation. Most of the civil structures of Udipur substation have been completed. The equipment in the substation have been transported to the construction site.

During the on-site inspection of the project sites, Managing Director of NEA Kul Man Ghising requested all those involved in the construction to complete the substation within the stipulated time. He discussed the progress of the construction, problems, and completion schedule with the project management, consultants and construction professionals. New Bharatpur and Udipur substations will have power transformers of 220/132 kV, 320 MVA and 220/132 kV, 160 MVA and 132/33 kV, 50 MVA capacities respectively.

Khudi and Dharapani substations will have power transformers of 220/132 kV, 160 MVA and 132/33 kV, 50 MVA and 220/132 kV, 100 MVA and 132/33 kV, 30 MVA capacities respectively.

The Marsyangdi Corridor 220 kV transmission line project has been started to bring electricity generated from Masryangdi and its tributaries into the national transmission system.

About 1,600 megawatts of electricity can be supplied through the transmission line. Under the project, a 113-km double circuit transmission line from Bharatpur in Chitwan to Dharapani in Manang is under construction.

The project is being divided into three packages. Under the first package, about 67 km transmission line is being constructed from Udipur to New Bharatpur substation.

Under the second package, New Bharatpur and Udipur substations are in the final stages of construction.

Under the third package, a 46 km transmission line from Khudi to Dharapani and two substations are being constructed. The estimated cost of the project is around Rs. 16 billion with the investment of the government and the concessional loan of the European Investment Bank (EIB).