Hetauda-Bharatpur transmission line starts operation

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, July 11: The Hetauda-Bharatpur 220 kV transmission line has come into operation. 

The Hetauda-Bharatpur section has been brought into operation under the Hetauda-Bharatpur-Bardaghat 220 kV transmission line project.

Nepal Electricity Authority has charged a 73-km-long one circuit of double circuit 220 kV transmission line and brought it into operation for the time being at 132 kV, according to the NEA.

The 220 kV transmission line from the old Hetauda substation at Chaukitol, Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City of Makwanpur to the new Bharatpur substation at Aaptari, Bharatpur Metropolitan City of Chitwan has been charged at 132 kV.

After the commissioning of the Hetauda-Bharatpur section transmission line, around 170 MW of electricity can be supplied from Hetauda to Bharatpur and from Bharatpur to Hetauda.

Only about 90 megawatts of electricity was supplied from the old 132 kV transmission line. With the operation of the Hetauda-Bharatpur section, there will be some ease for supplying additional electricity in that area.

The construction of Hetauda-Bharatpur-Bardaghat transmission line project has been started to make the transmission line within Nepal strong and reliable and to supply electricity to the hydropower project to be built in the western region.

The project was started in 2008 with the investment of the government and NEA and concessional loan from the World Bank. The project was divided into two sections, Hetauda-Bharatpur and Bharatpur-Bardaghat, said the NEA.

The construction of the project was affected due to local obstacles in the construction of the transmission line, problems in land acquisition, delay in tree felling and poor performance of the contractor company

After the World Bank withdrew from the project in October 2021, the rest of the work was carried forward with the investment of the government and NEA.

Under the Hetauda-Bharatpur section 2 towers of 220 kV four circuits (multi-circuit) are being constructed to connect the line to the under-construction substation located at Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City-11, Thanabharyang.

Santosh Sah, chief of the project, said that the work will be completed by next September.

Under the project, Bharatpur-Bardaghat 220 kV transmission line section from Bharatpur in Chitwan to Bardaghat in Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta East) is being brought into operation by August.