Construction of transmission line completed in 13 years

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Aug. 16: The construction of Bharatpur-Bardaghat 220 kilovolt (kV) double-circuit transmission line has been completed.

The construction of 74 km 220 kV double-circuit transmission line starting from the new Bharatpur substation in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-11, Aaptari of Chitwan and ending at Bardaghat substation in Nawalparasi (Bardaghat-Susta West) has been completed.

The transmission line can supply electricity up to 1,000 megawatts, said the Nepal Electricity Authority.

The 220 kV double-circuit transmission line will be commissioned initially at 132 kV.

Managing Director of NEA Kul Man Ghising said that after the completion of the construction of the transmission line, it will be easier to transmit electricity from Bharatpur to the west.

He said, "The construction of the project which was affected due to the obstruction of the locals demanding to change the route of the transmission line, the problem of tree cutting, poor performance of the contractor, has been completed after continuous efforts."

"There was only 132 kV single-circuit line currently operating for electricity supply from Bharatpur to the west. It was a problem to transmit more electricity from Bharatpur to the west because the capacity of the said line was not maintained. After the construction of the 220 kV line, it will be easy to supply more electricity and the voltage will also be stable,” he said.

Now there are three circuits, including the old one to supply electricity from Bharatpur to Bardaghat.

The charging of a 220 kV line at 132 kV can supply up to 170 MW from one circuit. About 90 megawatts of electricity was supplied from the old single-circuit line, said the NEA. The 220 kV transmission line from Bardaghat to the New Butwal Substation at Sunwal Municipality-13, Bhumhi in Nawalparasi is under construction and targeted to complete within December this year. After that, 220 kV transmission line will be connected from Hetauda to New Butwal Substation.

The length of Bharatpur-Bardaghat transmission line is 74 km. There are 246 towers on the transmission line.

A contract was signed with Central China Power Grid International Economic and Trade Company in November, 2010 for the construction of the project.

As the performance was not satisfactory, the contract with the said company was cancelled in June 2017 and the Authority called a new tender to do the remaining work.

A contract was signed with the Chinese company Hengtong Optic-Electric in August, 2018 to do the remaining work.

Some locals of Binayi Triveni Rural Municipality-2, Dumkibas of Nawalparasi filed a petition in the Supreme Court demanding a change on the route of the transmission line.

The construction of two transmission line towers in that area was stopped after the Supreme Court gave an interim order on April 7, 2021 as per the demand of the locals.