Construction of Hetauda-Bara section of transmission line completes

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Mar. 22: The construction of the Dhalkebar-Bara section of the Hetauda-Dhalkebar-Inaruwa 400 kV Transmission Line Project has been completed. 

The construction of the 100-kilometre transmission line from Dhalkebar Substation in Dhanusha to Saraswati Danda on the border of Bara and Makwanpur via Mahottari, Sarlahi, Rautahat in the west has been completed, according to the Nepal Electricity Authority.

The construction of the 154-kilometre 400 kV double-circuit transmission line from Dhalkebar in Dhanusha to Inaruwa Substation in Bhokraha Narsingh Rural Municipality-4, Sunsari was completed and has come into operation since June last year.

To further facilitate the flow of electricity from Dhalkebar to the west, a circuit of the 400 kV transmission line, about 60 kilometres long, has been brought into operation at 132 kV, near Chandranigahapur (Chapur) market in Rautahat.

The 400 kV transmission line, which is currently operational, was tapped at that location and charged to 132 kV on Thursday in the presence of the Managing Director of Nepal Electricity Authority, Kul Man Ghising.

Ghising said that the 400 kV line has been upgraded to remove the existing infrastructure barriers to supply electricity from Dhalkebar to the west and from the west to Dhalkebar.

"To solve the energy shortage during the winter, additional electricity can be imported from India during the day through the Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur cross-border transmission line. With this, water in the semi-reservoir projects like Kulekhani Reservoir, Upper Tamakoshi, Kaligandaki, Marsyangdi and Middle-Marsyangdi can be collected during the day and used during the evening peak hours and at night. This will further facilitate the management of electricity supply from Dhalkebar to the west," said Ghising.

"After the rainy season begins, the surplus electricity can be transmitted from the west to Dhalkebar, increasing the export of electricity to India. It has also become easier to move forward with the work of increasing the capacity by changing the conductors of the currently operating 132 kV transmission line," he added.

The Authority is working to upgrade (changing the wires) the 132 kV double circuit transmission line from Hetauda to Dhalkebar in Makawanpur. 

To increase the capacity of the East-West 132 kV double circuit transmission line, the old low-capacity wire in the approximately 136-kilometre section from Hetauda to Dhalkebar substation is being replaced with a new high-temperature Low Sag (HTLS), said the NEA. Out of this, the wiring work of both circuits from Hetauda to Piluwa substation in Bara has been completed. The work of one circuit from Dhalkebar to Lalbandi in Sarlahi has also been completed. 

However, the work to change the wire has been stopped near Lalbandi due to obstacles from the locals. The work could not proceed as the line had to be shut down to change the wire, which would have affected the electricity supply to that area. 

Now that the 400 kV has been charged to 132 kV, the work of changing the wire can be carried out by transmitting electricity through that line.

Currently, about 200 megawatts of electricity is flowing through the old 132 kV transmission line, but after changing the conductor, the capacity will increase to about 400 megawatts. 

The construction of the 288-kilometre 400 kV transmission line from Hetauda Substation in Thanabharyang to Inaruwa Substation in Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City-11 of Makawanpur has begun by dividing it into two sections-- Hetauda-Dhalkebar 134 kilometres and Dhalkebar-Inaruwa 154 kilometres. Of them, the construction of the Dhalkebar-Inaruwa section has been completed and has come into operation. The Hetauda-Dhalkebar section is under construction.

Some locals of the Hatiya area, located in wards 15, 16 and 17 of Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City under this section, have been obstructing the construction for about 8 years, demanding to shift the route of the transmission line. 

A total of 18 towers, including 16 in the Hatiya area and two in Thanabharyang in Hetauda-11, are yet to be constructed.  

The project has been initiated under the Nepal-India Power Transmission and Trade Project with investment from the government and the NEA and a concessional loan from the World Bank.