Big leap in electricity infrastructure development in recent years

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Aug. 25: The transmission line network expansion has doubled in the last eight years.

The transmission line network built to carry the electricity produced by the power plants from one place to another has reached 6,500 circuit kilometers.

The transmission lines of different voltage capacities are needed to supply the electricity generated from various sources of energy such as hydroelectric power or solar power to a certain location and supply it to the consumers.

In the fiscal year 2015/16, there were only 2,911 circuit kilometers of transmission line.

According to the statistics released by the Nepal Electricity Authority, the length of 400; 220; 132 and 66 kV transmission lines reached 6,507 circuit kilometers in the last fiscal year 2023/24.

Out of the total transmission lines, the maximum 132 kV is 4,136 circuit kilometers and the minimum 66 kV is 514 circuit kilometers. 

Similarly, 400 kV transmission line is 644 circuit kilometers. 

Over the past seven years, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has been focusing on the construction of transmission and distribution lines and substation for reliable and quality power supply.

There were 3,364 circuit kilometers transmission lines in the fiscal year 2016/17; 3,538 circuit kilometres in the year 2017/18; 3,990 circuit kilometres in the year 2018/19 and 4,269 circuit kilometres in the year 2019/20, according to the NEA. 

Similarly, there were 4,874 circuit kilometres in 2020/21; 5,329 circuit kilometres in 2021/22 and 5,742 circuit kilometers in 2022/23.

The capacity of the grid substation has reached 13,000 MVA by the last fiscal year. 

The grid substation capacity, which was only 2,223 MVA in the year 2015/16, has reached 13,000 MVA by the end of last fiscal year. 

It has 400; 220; 132; 66 and 33 kV capacity substations.

The government and the Authority have invested heavily in the construction of transmission lines and substations. 

The Authority is investing in transmission lines by taking subsidised loans from development partner agencies and its own resources.

Managing Director of NEA Kul Man Ghising said that a qualitative leap had been made in the construction of transmission lines during the last eight years.

The significant progress has been achieved in the construction of transmission lines by overcoming challenges such as local obstacles, land acquisition, forest area land use and tree cutting approval, among others, he said.

Ghising said that the authority had expanded transmission and distribution lines by transporting construction materials by people, mules and helicopters to work in geographically risky and difficult areas where there are no roads.

"During this period, many transmission lines of 400; 220 and 132 kV have been completed and brought into operation. The national transmission system of Nepal running on 132 kV transmission lines has now started running on 400 kV and 220 kV,” he said.

Ghising said that the construction process of the 400 kV transmission line from Butwal to West Attaria and the South Corridor transmission line passing through the major load centres of the country had been advanced by securing investment from various donor agencies.

He said that the major cities of the country had been divided into 11 clusters and a master plan of transmission and distribution structure that can supply the demand till 2050 had been prepared and implemented gradually.

New Butwal-Gorakhpur 400 kV second cross-border transmission line is under construction for electricity trade with India, which can transmit about 2,500 megawatts of electricity, said the NEA.

For electricity trade between Nepal and India, eight years ago, the transmission line capacity was about 350 megawatts, but now it has reached about 2,000 megawatts.

According to NEA, Inaruwa-Purnia and Lamki-Bareli 400 kV transmission lines are under implementation. Also, the feasibility of building more transmission lines between Nepal and India is being studied. 

In order to facilitate the electricity trade between Nepal, India and Bangladesh, the construction process of 400 kV transmission line from Inaruwa to Anarmani has been advanced.

Ghising said that it had been ensured that the transmission line network capable of exporting 20,000 megawatts of electricity would be developed by the year 2035. 

The Chilime-Kerung transmission line has also been advanced for electricity trade with northern neighbouring country China.

Similarly, the 33 and 11 kV and 400-volt distribution line network has reached 209,000 circuit kilometers to supply electricity from grid substation to consumers.

In the fiscal year 2015/16, the distribution line was only 121,000 circuit kilometers. At that time, the country was 58 per cent electrified and now it has reached 99 per cent. 

According to NEA, the capacity of the distribution substation has reached 2,500 MVA and the number of distribution substations is 196. Eight years ago, the number of substations was only 80 and the capacity was only 640 MVA.