In order to increase domestic consumption of electricity generated in the country, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is going to set up a transmission network in the districts of Madhes Province to be able to bear the load of about 4,000 megawatts of electricity.
The Authority is going to construct a high-capacity transmission line corridor in the southern region of the districts, including Bara, Parsa, Rautahat, Mahottari and Dhanusha, by 2050 to supply at least 4,000 MW power.
Four circuit transmission lines and substations of 400 kV will be constructed parallel to the Postal Highway on the southern border with India, according to the NEA.
Out of the four circuits, the transmission line corridor will be constructed in the initial phase by operating the upper two circuits at 400 kV and the lower two circuits at 132 kV.
The substations will be constructed in various places for electricity supply in local area as well.
Currently, homework is being done to determine the route of the proposed transmission line and the location of the substations, said the NEA.
Under the Bara Parsa Industrial Corridor, the transmission network infrastructure will be built to bear the load of about 3,200 megawatts of electricity in the Birganj area and 800 megawatts in the Janakpur area.
With this, there will be sufficient, reliable and quality electricity supply in the districts of Madhes Province, which has a great potential for expansion of cities and industrial areas.
Estimated cost Rs. 50 billion
More than Rs. 50 billion will be required for the construction of transmission lines and substations, said the NEA.
Managing Director of NEA Kul Man Ghising said that this amount will be raised through the investment of government and NEA, concessional loans from Exim Bank of India, Asian Development Bank and others.
A high-level team, including MD Ghising and consultants, recently visited the proposed line construction site and received information about the possible places for the construction of 400 and 132 kV transmission lines and substations, electricity demand and consumption conditions.
Ghising said that the South Corridor transmission line is going to be constructed in a phased manner to increase domestic consumption and to export the surplus electricity to India.
“In the first phase, the transmission lines and substations that are urgently needed for the increase in consumption, in the second phase, the South Corridor main line and in the third phase, the cross-border transmission line for cross-border electricity trade will be constructed,” he said.
“Some transmission lines and substations are being constructed. Some are starting immediately, while others are being built in the long term,” he said.
He said that electricity can be exported to Motihari, Sitamani and Jaynagar points in India.
The process for construction of a 400 kV substation in Pokharia of Parsa and Nijgadh of Bara has been forwarded targeting the industries that are operating in the Bara-Parsa Industrial Corridor and will be opened in the future.
The same 400 kV line will be extended parallel to the Postal Highway towards Janakpur. Land has been acquired for the construction of a 132 kV substation in Parsauni of Bara, said the NEA.
A 132 kV substation is being constructed from Dhalkebar in Dhanusha to Loharpati in Mahottari to make the power supply reliable and qualitative in the Janakpur area.
The 132 KV substation is under construction at Loharpati. Likewise, the Dhalkebar-Balganga 132 kV transmission line is also under construction.
Source : TRN,
