KATHMANDU, DEC 30 –
China’s JK Holding has dispatched genuine transformers to Nepal to replace inferior products it had shipped earlier.
The move comes around a month after another Chinese transformer supplier, Hu Bei Sunlight Co, replaced its substandard transformers with genuine ones.
A probe committee set up by the buyer, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), had concluded that the transformers supplied by these companies along with other companies from China and Thailand were substandard.
Chiranjibi Sharma Poudel, general manager at the Distribution and Consumer Service of NEA, said the transformers from both the companies have reached Birgunj Customs Office. “NEA will receive the transformers within the next 10 days,” he said.
According to NEA sources, J K Holding has sent 210 transformer sets, while Hu Bei has dispatched 2,000 sets. “JK Holding has sent only 210 sets in the first phase. It will send the remaining sets later,” said Poudel. After problems appeared in the equipment imported from six companies over the last five years, NEA had formed a probe committee to study the matter. The panel led by the then NEA board member Krishna Prasad Dulal examined 4,657 transformers installed at several stations and sub-stations.
The probe committee concluded that the imported transformers were technically flawed and that NEA officials were responsible. When the report of the malpractice was made public, Hu Bei representatives had apologised and pledged to replace the faulty equipment. “Shortly after Hu Bei’s move, JK holding has also tried to correct its act by providing substitute transformers in fear of being blacklisted,” said a high-level NEA official.
The inferior transformers supplied by JK holding were manufactured by Yueging City Shangshupei Electric Company, China. The company had won the tender (numbered DCSW/TR/2067/068-01) for the supply some four years ago.
During the inspection of three transformers—one 100KVA set and two sets of 50KVA capacity each—supplied by JK holding, the probe committee had found that the equipment had more ‘no loss’ and ‘full load loss’ than the NEA’s set standard. Also, aluminum wire had been used as winding material instead of copper wire in the transformers.
“Two Chinese companies have sent replacements, but that’s not the end of the matter,” said an NEA official. “Although we have been requesting other companies for the same, they are not taking the matter seriously.” He said NEA would begin diplomatic negotiations if other companies do not act soon. The official also said NEA would recover the losses caused by the faulty products.
Officials have demanded stern action against those involved in the import of the substandard transformers.
Source : The Kathmandu Post