10 Oct,2023 : The Kaligandaki Corridor 220 kV double circuit transmission line has been completed to integrate the hydropower projects to be built in Kaligandaki and its tributaries into the national electricity system.
Starting from Annapurna rural municipality-3 Dana substation in Myagdi and passing through Parbat, Baglung, Syangja, Palpa, Rupandehi to Sunwal municipality-13 Bhumhi in Nawalparasi (Bardghat Susta Paschim), about 140 km double circuit transmission line construction has been completed. With the completion of the construction of the transmission line, the infrastructure has been prepared for the transmission of electricity up to about 1200 megawatts.
The Nepal Electricity Authority had constructed the transmission line by dividing it into two sections. Under the first section, about 40 kilometers of transmission line from Dana to Kushma Municipality-2 Khurkot in Parbat has been completed and put into operation. In the first section, 220 ÷ 132 kV substations in Khurkot and 220 ÷ 132 ÷ 33 kV substations in Dana have been completed and are operational. Power transformers of 100-100 MVA capacity are placed in both substations.
Under the second section, about 90 kilometers of transmission line from Kushma to New Butwal substation has been completed and charged and put into operation from Monday. 236 towers have been constructed in this section. Towers have been constructed for 220 kV four circuit (multi circuit) line from Sunwal municipality-13 Badera to New Butwal substation. A 220 kV substation has been constructed in New Butwal. The construction of the Kaligandaki corridor transmission line has been completed with the second section being put into operation.
Kulman Ghising, the managing director of the authority, said that after the Kaligandaki corridor transmission line is operational, the reliability of the integrated power system will increase and the voltage of Nawalparasi, Rupandehi and other areas will improve.
If the transmission line capacity is not increased, it may not be possible to transmit additional electricity from the Kushma substation towards Modi. In Myagdi, a 40-megawatt Mistri Hydroelectric Project was operational, but there were problems with the full transmission of electricity from projects constructed in the Lamjung corridor. Managing Director Ghising mentioned, ‘There were also issues with the electricity transmission in the projects constructed in the corridors like the Kaligandaki corridor. With the operation of the Kaligandaki corridor, it will be possible to fully transmit electricity from projects like Mistri.
“The problem of electricity transmission in that area has been solved, as the electricity produced by the projects will flow completely, it will be easy to export more electricity that is consumed within the country to India.”
At the Dana Substation, a total of 74.6 megawatts of electricity has been added, which includes a 42-megawatt Mistri hydroelectric project, a 14-megawatt Ghara project, a 13.6-megawatt Thapa project, and a 5-megawatt Ghalemdi project. The electricity generated from these projects is being consumed locally, and the remaining power is being transmitted through the Kaligandaki corridor transmission lines towards the New Butwal Substation.
The electricity generated by hydroelectric projects under construction and to be constructed in districts like Mustang and Myagdi is also integrated into the same transmission lines and is included in the national grid system.
Delays in the tree-cutting permission process, local objections, and the impact of events like the COVID-19 pandemic have affected the construction of the Kaligandaki Corridor transmission line project, as explained by project leader Chandan Ghosh.
Residents of Phalewas Municipality-6 in Parbat had been obstructing the construction of the transmission line for more than three years, demanding that the route of the transmission line be shifted, saying that the construction of the transmission line would cause damage to schools and stadiums located in Devisthan. Construction of 4 transmission line towers in Phalewas was affected due to local obstruction.
After the high management of the authority and continuous initiative of the project, the problem was resolved and the transmission line was built. A contract was signed with the Indian company L&T in November 2074 for the construction of the Kushma-New Butwal section. The agreement was implemented from December 2074.
The Kaligandaki Corridor Transmission Line Project has been constructed with the investment of the Nepal Government and Authority and concessional loans received from the Power System Expansion Project under the South Asia Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC)
