Kathmandu, October 31, 2023 – The Nepal Electricity Authority is putting maximum effort into ensuring a substantial and high-quality electricity supply in the industrial corridor of Morang and Sunsari districts of Koshi Province this year. The Authority is focused on expanding and improving the distribution infrastructure, including upgrading existing power lines, constructing new lines, increasing substation capacity, and planning for the construction of new substations in the region to meet the demand for industrial and other customers with abundant and high-quality electrical supply.
Industrialists in Morang and Sunsari, mainly during the summer, face frequent power outages and trips, causing disruptions in their industrial operations. To address this issue, the Authority has taken steps to reduce the load on the Sunsari-based 132 kV grid substation by upgrading old power lines and constructing additional power lines and substations in the Morang and Sunsari industrial corridor.
The electricity supply for the previously launched Inaruwa 400 kV substation located in Sunsari’s Bhokraha Narasingh Rural Municipality-4 is under expansion to support the distribution and transmission of electricity. The presence of substations based on 400 kV, 220 kV, 132 kV, and 33 kV systems allows for local electricity supply from this location. This development is expected to reduce the load on the existing Duhabi substation.
Electricity generated from hydroelectric projects in the Arun and Tamor rivers, along with their auxiliary canals, will be connected to the Inaruwa substation via the Koshi Corridor 220 kV transmission line. Furthermore, the electricity produced in the canals located in Taplejung, Panchthar, and Ilam districts will be transmitted through the cable corridor to reach Damak in Jhapa. This development ensures a stable source of electricity supply in the region.
To improve the electricity supply in Sunsari and Morang and reduce the load on the 132 kV Rani and Tankisinuwari substations in the 33/11 kV Biratnagar region, the construction of the 132 kV Biratnagar substation is underway. Additionally, for electrification in Barju Rural Municipality in Sunsari, a 132 kV transmission line is being constructed from the Inaruwa substation to provide electricity up to the newly constructed substation.
Due to the weak performance of the joint venture between the contracting companies Sandong Taikai Engineering and Mudbhari & Joshi Construction, there have been delays in substation construction. Many civil structures have been constructed to house the equipment in the substation. Most of the equipment for the substation has also been supplied to the construction site.
The Managing Director of the Authority, Kulman Ghising, had previously inspected the construction site and directed that the construction be completed by the upcoming Falgun (by the end of February). He warned the contractors that if the construction was not completed as scheduled, there might be a situation where despite the availability of electricity, they could not supply it, leading to load shedding. This warning was issued in line with the terms of the contract to ensure the timely completion of such a critical project.
Information about the work being carried out to address the electricity supply issues in the industrial corridor of that region was shared with the Chairman of the Morang Industrial Association, Rakesh Surana, who was also part of the team. “This year, we are putting maximum efforts to ensure reliable and high-quality electricity supply to the industries operating in Sunsari and Morang. There are many options, and we are ahead of schedule to start supplying electricity before the onset of summer, which is critical,” stated the Executive Director Ghising. He further emphasized, “For this, we need to increase human resources, and it is necessary for local representatives, administration, industrialists, and other stakeholders at the local level to work together to remove any local barriers that may exist.”
Out of the 80 towers along the 132 kV transmission line from Inaruwa to Biratnagar, 73 have been installed, while 72 of them are standing. The transmission line has already been supplied with cables. However, the construction of 5 towers couldn’t start due to local obstacles and technical issues. The final phase of constructing a 33 kV double circuit line from Inaruwa substation to Khanar is in progress. After this line is operational, it will be possible to reduce the load on the Duhabi substation by about 40 megawatts.
Another circuit is currently under construction in the 33 kV circuit line from Inaruwa to the old Inaruwa substation. This will also help reduce the load on the Duhabi substation. The process of increasing capacity by restringing the wires of the Inaruwa-Duhabi 132 kV double-circuit transmission line is in progress.
The construction process of a 132 kV transmission line from Damak to Biratnagar substation, passing through Jhapa, Morang, and Sunsari, is progressing. This approximately 65-kilometer line will connect Damak to the Biratnagar substation, passing through Keroun in Kanepokhari Rural Municipality in Morang and Duhabi in Sunsari. Once the construction of this line is complete, it will create a 132 kV ring for electricity supply in Jhapa, Morang, and Sunsari, ensuring sufficient, reliable, high-quality, and secure electricity supply.
