Electricity Substation

Nepal is gifted with a variety of natural resources such as rivers, lakes, forests and mountains. Despite having such resources, the nation still has a long way to go when it comes to making strides in the much-needed socio-economic transformation. The country is now required to focus on harnessing these resources properly in order to achieve the overarching goals of overall development and prosperity. Hydropower, manufacturing, services, tourism, construction, agriculture, mineral and mining are the key potential areas of investment in the country. With the adoption of an investment-friendly policy, hydropower is among few top sectors to attract domestic as well foreign investment. Several mega hydropower plants, including Arun III, have now been under construction. The government has also forwarded the plan to develop the much-hyped 1,200-MW Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project. Numerous other big and small power plants in various parts of the country are in the pipeline. The government is dedicated to minimising the use of fossil fuels by promoting clean energy in order to protect the environment. This strategy may also help reduce the nation’s trade deficit.     

But it requires robust infrastructures like high-voltage overhead and underground transmission lines, power grids and substations for the country to develop the hydropower sector in a full-fledged manner. Although the amount of hydroelectricity generated in the country during this rainy season is more than enough to meet the domestic demand, many parts of the country, including the Kathmandu Valley, witness power outage frequently. The main reason for this is that the nation does not have sound infrastructure. Electric engineers say that such an unwanted situation emerges time and again because circuit breakers trip when too much electricity flows through it or when it cannot handle the excess current load. Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has been trying its best to address this recurring problem.  For this, the NEA needs to invest a lot of resources.  

According to a news report published in this daily on Monday, the NEA is now under enormous pressure to build a substation in Bahrabise of Sindhupalchowk district in order to transmit the electricity generated from the Madhya Bhotekoshi Hydropower Project.  The 102-MW hydroelectric project is being developed under the leadership of Chilime Hydropower Company. Construction of this power plant has reached its final stage. If the Bahrabise substation is not built on time, the electricity generated from this plant will go down the drain. The electricity generated from this power plant will have to be connected to Barhabise substation through 220-kV transmission line. The construction of the substation has been behind the schedule because of issues with joint venture of Chinese companies Guangxi Transmission and Substation Construction, and Shenzhen Claw Electronics. Those firms were awarded the contract. The power developer has built the towers of the transmission line from its power plant to the Bahrabise substation while the work of wire extension is going on.

The NEA has warned of holding the builders accountable for compensation when the substation is not completed on time. In a bid to address the protracted stoppage of the substation, a high-level NEA team led by its Managing Director Kulman Ghising on Sunday visited the construction site to discuss the challenges and progress.  Meanwhile, an alternative arrangement has been made for power supply from the power plant. However, it is necessary to complete the construction of the substation for a more stable power supply and long-term voltage stability of the electricity.